Home Home
Request a translationBecome a translator
Sign Up
LT → German, French, Russian → Rainer Maria Rilke → Ich fürchte mich so vor der Menschen Wort → English
  • Rainer Maria Rilke
    Rainer Maria Rilke – Ich fürchte mich so vor der Menschen Wort

    English translation

✕
Share
Font Size
German
Original lyrics

Ich fürchte mich so vor der Menschen Wort

Ich fürchte mich so vor der Menschen Wort.
Sie sprechen alles so deutlich aus:
Und dieses heißt Hund und jenes heißt Haus,
und hier ist Beginn und das Ende ist dort.
 
Mich bangt auch ihr Sinn, ihr Spiel mit dem Spott,
sie wissen alles, was wird und war;
kein Berg ist ihnen mehr wunderbar;
ihr Garten und Gut grenzt grade an Gott.
 
Ich will immer warnen und wehren: Bleibt fern.
Die Dinge singen hör ich so gern.
Ihr rührt sie an: sie sind starr und stumm.
Ihr bringt mir alle die Dinge um.
 
English
Translation#1#2

I'm so afraid of the word of people

I'm so afraid of the word of people.
They pronounce everything so clearly:
And this is called Dog and that's called House,
and here's the Outset and the End is there.
 
I fear their sense, their mockery play,
they know everything, what will be and was;
not any mountain is still wondrous to them;
their Garden and Good are right next to God.
 
I ever want to preserve and warn: Keep off.
The singing of things I love to hear so much.
But if you touch them, they are rigid and dumb.
You're finishing off all the things for me
 

Translations of "Ich fürchte mich so ..."

English #1, #2
Dutch
Italian
Russian #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7
Comments
ΚακομάζαληΚακομάζαλη    Thu, 28/09/2023 - 15:21

I believe that in this case is imperative to keep the nouns capitalized just like in the german original text.

KlaarzinKlaarzin
   Sat, 30/09/2023 - 13:01

Thank you for your comment, Flora.
In German every noun is written with a capital. Generally the capital of a noun has no special meaning. Why would it be different in this poem?

ΚακομάζαληΚακομάζαλη    Sat, 30/09/2023 - 13:57

Yes, I know that. Don't you see the need of capitalization of certain nouns in this poem? Not quotation marks. Capital letters. Let's try something.

"I'm so afraid of the word of people.
They pronounce everything so clearly:
And this is called Dog and that's called House,
and here's the Outset and the End is there.

I fear their sense, their mockery play,
they know everything, what will be and was;
not any Mountain is still wondrous to them;
their Garden and Good are right next to God.

I ever want to preserve and warn: Keep off.
The singing of things I love to hear so much.
But if you touch them, they are rigid and dumb.
You're finishing off all the things for me"

....hmm? Do you see it?

KlaarzinKlaarzin
   Tue, 03/10/2023 - 08:51

What I can see, is that some of the nouns stand out: dog and house, outset and end, garden, good and god, but not: mountain. If one capitalizes them, one gives them a mocking aspect. I hesitated over whether Rilke intended to mock people in general, who use common words for things.
Because it is rather peculiar to experience displeasure, fear even, when people call things by their common name. Why would the use of common words for things make you afraid? Rilke must have been aware that he stands alone in his displeasure. But that doesn't preclude an intention to ridicule. After a few days of hesitation I am convinced.
So, thank you very much for your suggestion, Flora.
kind regards,
Michel

↑↓