The Thousandth Regiment - 13. "And here, two thousand years past Golgotha"

Golgotha is a fitting title for this. A generation of young men were slaughtered in that war, their commanders knowing very little of what they did. And today, it seems as if leaders are intent on forgetting about their blood that soaked the mud and fields. 

I think, your translation is brilliant, still this poem is shocking every time I read it. And I don't know, which like button to push, the tear or the heart. But I guess, I go with the heart, because your effort and passion to bring those words alive in English is something I cherish and admire and touches me so deeply. And there is another reason for me to choose the heart, "Für eine Zeit, die Mörder nicht mehr ehrt. = For an age to come that won't praise murder." I know, through reading about Hans, that he send his poem home to his friends, and they were impressed and touched by his words and especially by this line. It is one of the most important lines in the collection, if you ask me. A wish I join. A perspective for a time, I hope will come one day. Maybe we will be able to overcome our "Raubtierkindheit" and grow to cherish love for eachother in a bigger picture. Muha

i am without words .. i have only tears for this one

tears,and thanks, for your dedication to this poet and his words

On 8/27/2019 at 9:51 AM, Parker Owens said:

Golgotha is a fitting title for this. A generation of young men were slaughtered in that war, their commanders knowing very little of what they did. And today, it seems as if leaders are intent on forgetting about their blood that soaked the mud and fields. 

Thank you, Parker. There is a consistent appeal to Christian iconography in these war poems. It comes up in some subtle and not-so-subtle ways now and again. Golgotha here is overt, and no doubt chosen for its incredible graphic power. But of course he's right. As another Gay author put it, "...And here we are still fighting two thousand years after they nailed a man to a tree for saying how nice it would be to be nice to people for a change..." [paraphrased from Douglas Adams].   

As always, thank you for reading and commenting

“For an age to come that won't praise murder.”

Yet, here we are today, going to ‘war’ way to easily while mostly non combatants pay the price. Hans’ sentiment is one we continue to hope for, but it seems like each generation gives us a new set of religious and governmental zealots. 

On 8/27/2019 at 12:34 PM, Lyssa said:

I think, your translation is brilliant, still this poem is shocking every time I read it. And I don't know, which like button to push, the tear or the heart. But I guess, I go with the heart, because your effort and passion to bring those words alive in English is something I cherish and admire and touches me so deeply. And there is another reason for me to choose the heart, "Für eine Zeit, die Mörder nicht mehr ehrt. = For an age to come that won't praise murder." I know, through reading about Hans, that he send his poem home to his friends, and they were impressed and touched by his words and especially by this line. It is one of the most important lines in the collection, if you ask me. A wish I join. A perspective for a time, I hope will come one day. Maybe we will be able to overcome our "Raubtierkindheit" and grow to cherish love for eachother in a bigger picture. Muha

Thank you, Lyssa. To me, part of why this poem is so successful and hard-hitting is that Ehrenbaum-Degele pulled out all the stops. His Expressionist's style is never more startling for its smoothness than here. Turn of phrases like Grellbunter Aussatz (Gaily hued leprosy), Mordes eckige Gebärde (murder's jerk-handed sign language), and Und üben uns in Sterben und Vernichten (Made to practice Death and Destruction's art) are simultaneously high-minded (shocking) and pictures the brain can easily see. This is remarkably good poetry. 

I can imagine Hans sending copies of this poem around to his friends and family. It's something important most everyone needs to see. I too hope we will grow out of our childish ways. Thank you, as always, for your support, comments and time. I appreciate them a great deal   

10 hours ago, Mikiesboy said:

i am without words .. i have only tears for this one

tears,and thanks, for your dedication to this poet and his words

Thank you, Tim. Tears will do for a remarkable poem like this. I more I get into them, the more I see how I must do what I can to bring them to a wider audience. 

As always, thank you for your encouragement, comments and for reading this collection. It means a great deal to me

4 hours ago, Defiance19 said:

“For an age to come that won't praise murder.”

Yet, here we are today, going to ‘war’ way to easily while mostly non combatants pay the price. Hans’ sentiment is one we continue to hope for, but it seems like each generation gives us a new set of religious and governmental zealots. 

Thank you, Def. Yes, I'm afraid the cynic in me says there's just too much money to be made out of war for it to go away. We are currently blundering into darker times, and decades' of work towards peace and stability are undone in the interest of.... who? Maybe someday we will wake up and demand to know who. 

Thank you again for your support, reading this collection and comments. They mean a great deal to me

Oh, these each get more and more desperate, angry and heartbreaking as we go along.  

I spent a number of years seeing the worst side of too many people.  The things I saw, was forced to look at and catalogue, accident, fights .. horrors enough for me … I can say with reasonable confidence that there will always be war, fighting, cruelty. The only way we'll ever stop it is if we can see these traits and change them or have the courage to do what's necessary to stop them before they start. That's highly unlikely.

Hans' words are compelling as he brings us his feelings about his life during this war.  He brings it home with much clarity. The sadness and pain hang in air thick and heavy like brocade. 

Thanks AC. 

On 8/29/2019 at 2:50 PM, MichaelS36 said:

Oh, these each get more and more desperate, angry and heartbreaking as we go along.  

I spent a number of years seeing the worst side of too many people.  The things I saw, was forced to look at and catalogue, accident, fights .. horrors enough for me … I can say with reasonable confidence that there will always be war, fighting, cruelty. The only way we'll ever stop it is if we can see these traits and change them or have the courage to do what's necessary to stop them before they start. That's highly unlikely.

Hans' words are compelling as he brings us his feelings about his life during this war.  He brings it home with much clarity. The sadness and pain hang in air thick and heavy like brocade. 

Thanks AC. 

Thank you, Mike. Brocade is a great way to describe Hans' work -- your term is poetry, really. I think some of the verse talent of your spouce is rubbing off on you

Despite how rich this brocade is, it is truly horrible. Some of these poems wear the guise ordinary flag-waving for those who read them casually -- like the government censors of the time. But with every word he pens, his goal is to show the true human price of the decisions which sent his classic "we" (all those serving in WW1) into a situation where killing served the political motives of only a few. In this way Hans creates truly subversive poetry, and I relish it because as Keats said, where there is truth, there is beauty. Or as Emerson said, between whom there is truth, there is love. 

Thank you once again for reading these and sharing your thoughts with us. Muah 

3 hours ago, AC Benus said:

Brocade is a great way to describe Hans' work -- your term is poetry, really. I think some of the verse talent of your spouce is rubbing off on you

You're likely right … I do have to odd poetic moment. Thanks AC .. 

48 minutes ago, MichaelS36 said:

You're likely right … I do have to odd poetic moment. Thanks AC .. 

   Oh, I know it. I'm still hoping you'll come back to the poetry prompts one fine day    

10 minutes ago, AC Benus said:

I'm still hoping you'll come back to the poetry prompts one fine day

I see tim struggle ...lord, but never say never.