A translation of Kommen und Scheiden
Nikolaus Lenau (1802 - 1850), "Kommen und Scheiden" (1850)
Coming and Going As often as she came, her form still seemed As bright and fresh as the forest's first green. And then she spoke, piercing my heart with prose As sweet as the first spring song in the grove. And when her hand waved and bade me adieu, I felt my childhood's last dream fall from view.
Original Poem:
So oft sie kam, erschien mir die Gestalt So lieblich wie das erste Grün im Wald. Und was sie sprach, drang mir zum Herzen ein Süß wie des Frühlings erstes Lied im Hain. Und als Lebwohl sie winkte mit der Hand, War's, ob der letzte Jugendtraum mir schwand.
Thoughts:
Keeping the syllables and rhyme scheme proved challenging, but it made it more rewarding. It also helped to narrow down the scope of what I could bring in, so I tried to remain as faithful as possible. This is my first time ever attempting poetry translation, but I will definitely be doing more. If anyone knows German, please provide feedback on the translation. If you don’t, just let me know what you think of the poem anyone. Thanks!
Wow, what a thing to do!
The poem speaks to the subtle feeling of meeting someone from the past, the way it revives the ghosts of who you both once were. I’m sure it’s something everyone feels at one time or another.
That you’ve pulled it through the boundary of language is magic!