Miracles - 1. . . . to swing in the storm . . .

5 hours ago, Aditus said:

Someone labeled August Stramm's poetry as radical art of language.  It's miles away from the so-called Hurrah-Patriotismus that was often customary in his day. You might call it pure expressionism?

Translation is always interpretation. I'm lucky that I'm able to read and compare both versions. I like your interpretation. Choosing thou for du is an interesting choice.

Thanks for reading, I guess. 

"Wo nicht, ihn tadeln oder ihn beklügeln,

Er wird sich keinem, als nur einem, neigen.

Im Guten mögt ihr schwelgen oder Schlimmen,

Doch nur Gestalt entzücke den Gestalter,

Und jeder soll sein eignes Ziel erklimmen."

--Platen

[Yet, chiding or drinking his sorrows with him,

He cares not, and will bend to no one, but one.

You may revel as judge of the good or bad,

But creation only delights creators,

And each must set the goals upon which they climb.]

On 4/6/2023 at 10:31 PM, raven1 said:

Going out on a limb here.  The poems felt rushed and sexual like a person in the midst of sexual passion.  Each poem had a distinct difference of relationship between the author and the other.  It is almost like he's describing a different person as the other in each poem.  The last one would then imply the authors is engaged with himself.  A very intriguing group of poems.  Thanks AC!

Thank you, Terry. The question might be turned around: not who the "THOU" is (or, are), but whether the "I" changes in each poem. In the end, I decided to both use "Lover Poems" as the subtitle (as opposed to the less complex alternate of "Love Poems"), and come to see the "I" of Stramm's POV as one that does not change. That's why I list these poems with tags of "Gay", "Bi" and "Pan" -- I believe we as readers are invited to imagine our own desire reaching beyond the mere limitations of body morphology, grasping for the ever universal "THOU" of love itself.

At lease, lol, that's my story and I'm sticking to it  

On 4/6/2023 at 1:05 PM, Parker Owens said:

I would echo @Backwoods Boy, for the word breathlessness is perfect to describe these.  I felt most drawn to Moon Wink, though to say so in no way takes anything from the other poems in the collection. Thank you for giving these and Stramm a wider audience.

Thanks, Parker. I'd share the information that somehow I became drawn to this collection of Stramm's poems before I knew much intimate detail about their content. In Moon Wink, for example, I was pleasantly supersized to have the poet use the word "shirt." This items turns up in the poet's rumpled bedsheets, and the original German term is only ever applied to men's shirts. So, here is clear indication that poems like the one that opens the series are set between two males in love. The theme of "Love Struggles" is later, wonderfully realized in another poem called Wunder -- the "Miracle" of the title selected for my posting.

One could look for published references to Stramm's Queerness online and totally fail to find any open-minded comments on his orientation. And yet, as is so often the case, the artist's work speaks well enough for itself    

4 hours ago, Mrsgnomie said:

Wonderful. I was particularly drawn to fulfillment. It was such a high and a rush, that came crashing down. Very emotionally charged. 

Thank you. Mrsgnomie! Fulfillment happened to be one of the most difficult to translate. Meaning balancing art is the goal, along with a faithfulness to how the same ideas would be (or could be) expressed comfortably to an English-speaking mind. Sometimes it's really hard work, and so it was in this case, although I believe the end result flows naturally.

Thank you for singling out this poem for comment! I appreciate it

I don't know of this poet at all, but these were interesting poems/translations, AC. I don't find the form used unique, surprisingly. In fact, it is a form similar to ones I have used myself, something I consider a stream of consciousness with (oft singular) words as tools for carving and displaying thoughts. He is adept at this, and I like phrases like "The night winks" and 

"Blue

Glows the hand

In radiant depletion"

The passions are very evident in these poems, though I won't pretend to understand all he speaks of, but I very much like some of the moments throughout. For some reason, this will likely stick with me a while...

A blackish kiss

Steals shyness through the gate

And brights

The lantern light

To flare up

I see beauty and maybe furtiveness hinted at here, but it is probably open to interpretation. Cheers!

There is little I can add to what the others haven't already said.  The poems exude passion and longing and are very descriptive, and very easy to relate to as well.  Thanks for sharing these with us, AC. 

On 4/17/2023 at 12:57 PM, wildone said:

Thanks, A.C. for translating them in English. The first time I read them, i had one set up impressions that they brought to mind. Second time another, and so on. This thing is, I don't think I felt the first time was wrong in any way, any more than other readings.

Very thought provoking.

Thank you, wildone! Yes, even now, when I re-read them, differing thoughts and sights appear. I suppose that's the mark of all 'good' poetry: that interpretations are not set in stone. It's a blessing and curse to try and translate a work like Stramm's "DU" (blessing + curse = madness? -- yes). Few are foolish enough to try and bring them to another language and its limitations, and those who do, can expect mixed reactions at best. And so it goes. 

Thanks again for reading and sharing your thoughts. They're greatly appreciated

9 hours ago, Bill W said:

There is little I can add to what the others haven't already said.  The poems exude passion and longing and are very descriptive, and very easy to relate to as well.  Thanks for sharing these with us, AC. 

Thank you, Bill. You've said something quite important here -- easy to relate to. Some readers of this collection say to themselves "I can feel the emotions, but I don't get the poems." To such people I'd say, feeling them is what matters. Why should the head and its reasons get in the way of the heart and its understandings?

Thanks for taking the plunge with these!