Winter's Breethe

Hi,

Inspired by a poem of Austria's famous Franz Grillparzer:


Do't know if there is an adequate translation:

Des Winters Hauch

Des Winters Hauch
entblättert den Strauch,
und wütende Sturmwinde heulen;
an des Hügels Hang,
wo die Lerche sonst sang,
erkrächzen nun Raben und Eulen.

Die Rose liegt
vom Frost geknickt,
und jubelnd hüllet der Winter
in raschem Flug
sein Leichentuch
um Floras blühende Kinder.

Die Schwalbe ruft
aus rauher Luft
ihr Lebewohl hernieder,
blickt noch einmal herab
auf das weite Grab
und flieht dann auf schnellem Gefieder,

und alles ist stumm
und tot ringsum,
kein Laut ertönt aus den Höhen,
nur am sumpfigen Teich,
im matten Gesträuch,
tanzt ein Chor von krächzenden Krähen.

Wolfgang

I have a translator so here is the translation for your beautiful poem and your gorgeous flowers!!
Of the winter breath

Of the winter breath
strips of leaves the shrub,
and furious gales howl;
in the hill slope,
where the lark sang, otherwise,
erkrächzen now ravens and owls.

The rose lies
glum from the frost,
and rejoicing wrap the winter
in quick flight
his shroud
around Floras blossoming children.

The swallow shouts
from rough air
her farewell hernieder,
looks down once again
on the wide grave
and then flees on quick plumage,

and everything is dumb
and deadly all around,
no sound sounds from the heights,
only in the marshy pond,
in the matt Gesträuch,
if a choir of croaking crows dances

Thank you very much, Charlotte, I appreciate that!

My pleasure.

Me too!

Asher

just to add, for full understanding of the poem

erkrächzen would mean to croak

so, where the larks once sang,
now the ravens and owls croak

was used also to predict trouble or evil

although it can mean die also, that would be too modern an interpretation for this poem.

Maggie

Wolfgang Plattner said:

Hi,

Inspired by a poem of Austria's famous Franz Grillparzer:

Snow Rose (winter's breeze) - Schnee Rose (Des Winters Hauch) by Wolfgang Plattner, on Flickr​

Do't know if there is an adequate translation:

Des Winters Hauch

Des Winters Hauch
entblättert den Strauch,
und wütende Sturmwinde heulen;
an des Hügels Hang,
wo die Lerche sonst sang,
erkrächzen nun Raben und Eulen.

Die Rose liegt
vom Frost geknickt,
und jubelnd hüllet der Winter
in raschem Flug
sein Leichentuch
um Floras blühende Kinder.

Die Schwalbe ruft
aus rauher Luft
ihr Lebewohl hernieder,
blickt noch einmal herab
auf das weite Grab
und flieht dann auf schnellem Gefieder,

und alles ist stumm
und tot ringsum,
kein Laut ertönt aus den Höhen,
nur am sumpfigen Teich,
im matten Gesträuch,
tanzt ein Chor von krächzenden Krähen.

Click to expand...

Your image is both beautiful and very touching.
Maggie

Hi Maggie,
thank you for your addition, this form "erkrächzen" (from "krächzen" translated with "croak") is painting with words, it means the air, the scene, life is starting to be filled with croaking, like in a concerthall, when the music begins.

Wolfgang Plattner said:

Hi Maggie,
thank you for your addition, this form "erkrächzen" (from "krächzen" translated with "croak") is painting with words, it means the air, the scene, life is starting to be filled with croaking, like in a concerthall, when the music begins.

Click to expand...

Wolfgang, did you know that is one of my favorite sounds, when you are at a concert and the musicians are tuning up their instruments. I don't know why, perhaps it is because of anticipation or an excitement for what is coming, but I have always loved that sound.

Hi Maggie
You hit the point ... I think exactly this is, what Grillparzer is talking about ...

Wolfgang Plattner said:

Hi,

Inspired by a poem of Austria's famous Franz Grillparzer:

Snow Rose (winter's breeze) - Schnee Rose (Des Winters Hauch) by Wolfgang Plattner, on Flickr​

Do't know if there is an adequate translation:

Des Winters Hauch

Des Winters Hauch
entblättert den Strauch,
und wütende Sturmwinde heulen;
an des Hügels Hang,
wo die Lerche sonst sang,
erkrächzen nun Raben und Eulen.

Die Rose liegt
vom Frost geknickt,
und jubelnd hüllet der Winter
in raschem Flug
sein Leichentuch
um Floras blühende Kinder.

Die Schwalbe ruft
aus rauher Luft
ihr Lebewohl hernieder,
blickt noch einmal herab
auf das weite Grab
und flieht dann auf schnellem Gefieder,

und alles ist stumm
und tot ringsum,
kein Laut ertönt aus den Höhen,
nur am sumpfigen Teich,
im matten Gesträuch,
tanzt ein Chor von krächzenden Krähen.

Click to expand...

I was busy and, having glanced, I planned to return to study this picture. What a surprise. I thought this was about red cabbage and now I see this is so much more beautiful and poetic.

I wish my German was more fluent but the translation is enough to get this feeling of passion.

I could have missed this altogether and I am glad I returned!

Asher

It is my pleasure, Asher!