Lament -- Georg Trakl, two translations
Sleep and death, the dusky eagles Around this head swoop all night long; Eternity’s icy wave Would swallow the golden image Of man; against horrible reefs His purple body is shattered. And the dark voice laments Over the sea. Sister of stormy sadness, Look a timid dinghy goes down Under stars, The silent face of the night. |
Here is the other translation -- presumably by Nathaniel since he doesn't credit anyone
ReplyDeleteOr
Dreamless sleep - the dusky Eagles
nightlong rush about my head,
man's golden image drowned
in timeless icy tides. On jagged reefs
his purpling body. Dark
echoes sound above the seas.
Stormy sadness' sister, see
our lonely skiff sunk down
by starry skies:
the silent face of night.