Poem
Norbert Hummelt
POPPIES
that was fulda just now. the weak glow of the ceiling lightsin the open carriage is constantly reflected in the window
before my eyes. you write that where you are it is cloudy and
cool the beating of my heart disturbs me the downcast feeling
settled in on me already on the outward journey beyond the
window meadows forest clouds whatever I see it does me
no good the old tribulation in my blood. the day before yes-
terday there was green billowing and the wind in the yard how
the tree was moving I could hear the warning cries of the
magpie flying after me from another life there was a tree in the
yard but one morning light and a voice speaking from far away:
kassel is behind us now. still a good two and a half hours to go
I am uneasy and older than you and am hurtling inertly
towards göttingen and can see the sides of the cuttings red
with poppies and can pledge my unstoppably passing time
to none of the passing images. that, and the unendurable
wait until you kiss me again after our fight will be sure
to make me fall apart long before I reach hildesheim.
© Translation: 2014, Catherine Hales
PAPAVER
daarstraks was fulda. het vale licht van de plafondlampenin de doorgaande coupé spiegelt zich voortdurend voor me
in het raam. je schrijft dat het bij jou fris is en bewolkt
het kloppen van mijn hart stoort me het sombere gevoel
op de heenreis al overviel het me daarbuiten de weiden
veel bos en de wolken wat ik ook zie het doet me
geen goed de oude rampspoed in mijn bloed. eergisteren
was er het golvende groen en wind op de binnenplaats hoe de
boom bewoog ik hoorde de ekster waarschuwend roepen
hij vloog achter me aan uit een ander leven daar stond op de
binnenplaats een boom op een ochtend echter licht en een stem
die van verre spreekt: kassel ligt achter ons. nog steeds
is het meer dan tweeënhalf uur rijden onrustig ben ik en
ouder dan jij en raas roerloos richting göttingen en zie
de bermen rood van de papaver en kan mijn stuurloos
verglijdende tijd aan niet één voorbijtrekkend beeld beloven.
dat en de onverdraaglijke termijn totdat je mij na de ruzie
opnieuw kust laat me tot hildesheim zeker te gronde gaan.
© Vertaling: 2014, Erik de Smedt
MOHN
vorhin war fulda. das fahle licht der deckenleuchtendes großraumwagens spiegelt sich ständig vor mir
im fenster. du schreibst bei dir ist es bedeckt u. kühl
mein herzklopfen stört mich das trübe gefühl schon
auf der hinfahrt flog es mich an draußen die wiesen
viel wald u. die wolken was ich auch sehe es tut mir
nicht gut die alte drangsal in meinem blut. vorgestern
war das wogende grün u. wind im hof wie sich der
baum bewegte ich hörte die warnenden rufe der elster
sie flog mir nach aus einem andern leben da war ein
baum im hof doch eines morgens licht u. eine stimme
von weit her spricht: kassel liegt hinter uns. noch immer
sind es gut zweieinhalb stunden unruhig bin ich u.
älter als du u. rase reglos auf göttingen zu u. sehe
die böschungen rot vor mohn u. kann meine haltlos
rinnende zeit keinem der ziehenden bilder versprechen.
das u. die unerträgliche frist bis du mich nach dem streit
wieder küßt läßt mich bis hildesheim sicher zerbrechen.
© 2011, Luchterhand Literaturverlag
From: Pans Stunde
Publisher: Luchterhand Literaturverlag, München
From: Pans Stunde
Publisher: Luchterhand Literaturverlag, München
Poems
Poems of Norbert Hummelt
Close
POPPIES
that was fulda just now. the weak glow of the ceiling lightsin the open carriage is constantly reflected in the window
before my eyes. you write that where you are it is cloudy and
cool the beating of my heart disturbs me the downcast feeling
settled in on me already on the outward journey beyond the
window meadows forest clouds whatever I see it does me
no good the old tribulation in my blood. the day before yes-
terday there was green billowing and the wind in the yard how
the tree was moving I could hear the warning cries of the
magpie flying after me from another life there was a tree in the
yard but one morning light and a voice speaking from far away:
kassel is behind us now. still a good two and a half hours to go
I am uneasy and older than you and am hurtling inertly
towards göttingen and can see the sides of the cuttings red
with poppies and can pledge my unstoppably passing time
to none of the passing images. that, and the unendurable
wait until you kiss me again after our fight will be sure
to make me fall apart long before I reach hildesheim.
© 2014, Catherine Hales
From: Pans Stunde
From: Pans Stunde
POPPIES
that was fulda just now. the weak glow of the ceiling lightsin the open carriage is constantly reflected in the window
before my eyes. you write that where you are it is cloudy and
cool the beating of my heart disturbs me the downcast feeling
settled in on me already on the outward journey beyond the
window meadows forest clouds whatever I see it does me
no good the old tribulation in my blood. the day before yes-
terday there was green billowing and the wind in the yard how
the tree was moving I could hear the warning cries of the
magpie flying after me from another life there was a tree in the
yard but one morning light and a voice speaking from far away:
kassel is behind us now. still a good two and a half hours to go
I am uneasy and older than you and am hurtling inertly
towards göttingen and can see the sides of the cuttings red
with poppies and can pledge my unstoppably passing time
to none of the passing images. that, and the unendurable
wait until you kiss me again after our fight will be sure
to make me fall apart long before I reach hildesheim.
© 2014, Catherine Hales
Sponsors
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère