I'm too tired after a busy weekend to write anything of much consequence, but I wanted to post something. It feels as though autumn is already drawing near and this famous poem by Rilke, 'Autumn Day', is all too appropriate. It also has something to say about certain qualities of solitude and loneliness.
As a side note, P K Page wrote a glosa based on the final stanza of the poem, called 'Autumn'. I think it was probably my first encounter with 'Autumn Day' and certainly one of my first with Rilke.
This translation is by A Z Foreman from his Poems Found In Translation blog. I've also included the original for anyone who reads German.
AUTUMN DAY (Rainer Maria Rilke, translated from German by A Z Foreman)
Lord: It is time. The summer days were grand.
Now set your shadows out across the sun-dials
And set the winds loose on the meadowland.
Bid the last fruits grow full upon the vine,
allow them two more days of southern heat,
thrust them to their fulfillment and secrete
the final sweetness into bodied wine.
Whoever has no house yet will have none,
Whoever is alone will stay alone,
Will stay up, write long letters out, and go
On aimless walks through alleys on his own
Uneasily when leaves begin to blow.
HERBSTTAG
Herr: Es ist Zeit. Der Sommer war sehr groß.
Leg deinen Schatten auf die Sonnenuhren,
und auf den Fluren laß die Winde los.
Befiehl den letzten Früchten voll zu sein;
gieb ihnen noch zwei südlichere Tage,
dränge sie zur Vollendung hin und jage
die letzte Süße in den schweren Wein.
Wer jetzt kein Haus hat, baut sich keines mehr.
Wer jetzt allein ist, wird es lange bleiben,
wird wachen, lesen, lange Briefe schreiben
und wird in den Aleen hin und her
unruhig wandern, wenn die Blätter treiben.
Translation from German © A Z Foreman