I hope you’ll forgive me a day off. I decided to let Rilke do my writing today. He’s pretty darn good in a pinch. Or under any circumstance, really. Love the last line.
Sunset
Slowly the west reaches for clothes of new colors
which it passes to a row of ancient trees.
You look, and soon these two worlds both leave you
one part climbs toward heaven, one sinks to earth.
leaving you, not really belonging to either,
not so hopelessly dark as that house that is silent,
not so unswervingly given to the eternal as that thing
that turns to a star each night and climbs-
leaving you (it is impossible to untangle the threads)
your own life, timid and standing high and growing,
so that, sometimes blocked in, sometimes reaching out,
one moment your life is a stone in you, and the next, a star.
–Rainer Maria Rilke, translated by Robert Bly
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Beautiful.
yes, dear. that’s it. you know, i wonder if john denver read rilke because his “some days are diamonds” seems like a bastardization of the above. a catchy, catchy bastardization.
you know I love Rilke
wonderful. hadn’t heard of Rilke before, will add him to the to read list. my poetry knowledge has really improved thanks to well-read bloggers.
Just what I was thinking…(ahem)….
Enjoyed that. Thanks for sharing 🙂 Have a great weekend!
That was just wanted I needed to imagine on this cold, crappy, rainy day here 🙂
Thanks!
Yes, the last line…