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Best Poems From
ERHARD HANS JOSEF LANG
(January 8,1957)
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5.
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Uuno Kailas - At The Frontier (translation)
The frontier opens like a lane across the ice but it's broken up.
In front is Asia, the East.
Behind what is the West and Europe:
I am watching it, border guard.
Behind is a beautiful father country
with its towns and villages.
Your son protects you, my country,
highest of treasures.
The howling wind in the night
brings snow from behind the border -
Lord, grant my father, my mother to have a quiet dream!
Give grains into the barn chestbox,
from these to the cattle too!
Your hands may bless the fields! -
Here I shall protect these.
Dreary, cold is the winter's night,
frosty breathes the East.
There exist servitude and forced labor;
the stars are watching it.
From afar, from the steppes
rises the image of Ivan the Terrible.
A spirit of disaster, it forebodes:
morning is to see blood.
But the gray fathers from out of their graves come riding on horses of
ghosts;
with bear-hunter spears in their fists storming towards the border. -
Spirits of fathers, blissful ones,
hear the word of your son -
if I were to betray it, you come hither as an army of revenge -:
The enemy's iron-sole shall not trample shamefully
the abode of your heroes rest, -
I shall protect my country's border!
Never will strangers take away your precious legacy.
They may come as a wind hound from their steppes!
Getting onto the soil here.
Strong-breasted as a bear I shall run against the lances
protecting woman's spinning-wheel and the cradle of children!
The frontier opens like a lane across the ice but it's broken up.
In front is Asia, the East.
Behind what is the West and Europe:
I am watching it, border guard.
by Finnish poet
Uuno Kailas (1901 - 1933)
transl. by Erhard Lang
here the poem's original Finnish version:
RAJALLA
Raja railona aukeaa.
Edessä Aasia, Itä.
Takana Länttä ja Eurooppaa:
varjelen, vartija, sitä.
Takana kaunis isänmaa
kaupungein ja kylin.
Sinua poikas puolustaa, maani,
aarteista ylin.
Öinen, ulvova tuuli tuo rajan takaa lunta -
Isäni, äitini, Herra suo nukkua tyyntä unta!
Anna jyviä hinkaloon,
anna karjojen siitä!
Kätes peltoja siunatkoon! -
Täällä suojelen niitä.
Synkeä, kylmä on talviyö,
hyisenä henkii Itä.
Siell' ovat orjuus ja pakkotyö;
tähdet katsovat sitä.
Kaukaa, aroilta kohoaa Iivana Julman haamu.
Turman henki, se ennustaa:
verta on näkevä aamu.
Mut isät harmaat haudoistaan aaveratsuilla ajaa;
karhukeihäitä kourissaan syöksyvät kohti rajaa. -
Henget taattojen, autuaat,
kuulkaa poikanne sana -
jos sen pettäisin, saapukaat koston armeijana -:
Ei ole polkeva häpäisten sankarileponne majaa
rauta-antura vihollisen, -
suojelen maani rajaa!
Ei ota vieraat milloinkaan kallista perintöänne.
Tulkoot hurttina aroiltaan!
Mahtuvat multaan tänne.
Kontion rinnoin voimakkain ryntään peitsiä vasten
naisen rukkia puolustain
ynnä kehtoa lasten!
Raja railona aukeaa.
Edessa Aasia, Itä.
Takana Länttä, Eurooppaa;
varjelen, vartija, sitä.
Uuno Kailas
Erhard Hans Josef Lang
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6.
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Yahvet's Falling In Love (translation with original)
It feels the right thing for a man to hang out thereabouts
And to wonder at our creator's wisdom.
The trees already are in their virgin bloom,
Dear little big sun on the early summer day taking his nose-dive down
into the well-shaft - with a blaze so that
The young man's human frame is being made mellow.
Yahvet is lying in the backyard's meadow,
Enjoying spring-time's lovely feel of warmth stinging on his back.
He is biting on a stalk of grass.
Pressing his head into the fresh grass-field
And watching the manifold tiny insects that bustle and hustle about.
The wasps bumble -
The man falls asleep as he's smiling.
* * * * * * *
He wakes up to a tremendous noise.
The cows are a-lowing, the calves jumping about like wild.
The maids, the knaves are running about as if there were a fire-brand.
Willow fifes are sounding off shrill on top of all.
Also Yahvet has come to notice things -
The maids brought the cattle into the open for a first time.
His sleep is gone from his eyes
And he is looking on as the cattle disappear running into the woods.
Maid Maya alone is staying behind in the backyard.
And from afar are sounding the herdsmen's excellent willow fifes.
Yahvet remains glaring on that selfsame picture for a long time.
How swiftly maid Maya has betaken herself amidst the cows,
Getting busy in her naked calves,
With her striped skirt tucked up to the knees!
Now she stands there at the stairs, her cheeks are red,
Her breasts a-heaving under the itchy linen shirt without sleeves.
With a smile she's straightening her lush hair that went untied in the
turmoil.
There comes the cat of the farm, its back bent,
Its side it is rubbing against Maya's calf rounder than round. -
* * * * * * *
Having seen that a strange kind of longing was kindled in Yahvet..
Down to the shore he stepped where the timber woods are set afloat.
With a groan he took up the largest trunk of the trees
And smashed it onto the ground.
* * *
translation into German:
Wie Jahvet Sich Verliebte
Da paßt es einem Manne sich zu rekeln, des Schöpfers Weisheit zu bewundern.
Die Bäume haben schon ausgeschlagen.
Die liebe Sonne senkt sich in des Brunnenschachtes Nase mit einem Schein am frühen Sommertag, daß des Menschenkindes Knochen weiche werden.
Jahvet liegt in der Wiese auf dem Hinterhof, sich mit herzlichem Genuß an dem brennenden Stechen des Frühlings auf seinem Rücken weidend.
Er beißt auf einem Grashalm herum, drückt seinen Kopf in das junge Grasgrün, und beobachtet wie allerlei krebsiges Getier sich dort rühret.
Wespen brummen - es fallen dem Manne die Augen zu und er lächelt.
* * * * * *
Er wacht zu einem fürchterlichen Lärme auf.
Die Kühe sind am Muhen, die Kälber hüpfen herum wie wild.
Die Mägde, Knechte springen umher als wär ein Feuerbrand.
Weidenpfeifen tönen schrill über alles hinweg.
Auch an Jahvet geht es nicht vorbei - die Mägde haben das Vieh das erste Mal ins freie gelassen.
Der Schlaf hat sich aus den Augen gelöst und er schaut zu, wie das Vieh im Trab sich im Wald verliert.
Im Hof bleibt einzig Maija die Magd zurück.
Und von ferne erklingen der Hirten prächtige Weidenpfeifen.
Eine lange Zeit verweilt Jahvet bei diesem selbigen Bild vor sich hinstierend.
Wie schmissig sich Maija inmitten des Viehs bewegte, sich mit nackten Waden zu schaffen machend, den gestreiften Rock bis zu den Knieen hochgesteckt!
Sie steht jetzt an der Treppe mit roten Wangen.
Die Brüste erheben sich unter ihrem ärmellosen kratzigen Leinenhemd.
Lächelnd streicht sie ihr üppiges Haar zurecht, das sich im Getummel geöffnet hatte.
Kommt dazu hin, mit gekrümmtem Buckel, des Hofes Katze, reibt ihre Seite an Maijas Wade ach so rund. -
* * * * *
Jener Anblick entflammte in Jahvet eine seltenes Begehren.
Zum Ufer, wo das Treibholz ins Wasser gelassen wird, schritt er hin, hob ächzend den längsten Baumstamm hoch, und ließ ihn auf die Erde niederknallen.
Poem by Finnish poet Aaro Hellaakoski (1893 - 1952) ,
translated by Erhard Hans Josef Lang from its original in Finnish:
JAHVETIN RAKASTUMINEN
Passaa siinä miehen kelliskellä, luojan viisautta ihmetellä.
Hiirenkorvalla jo ovat puut.
Aurinkoinen kaivonvintin nenään laskeutuupi paistain kesäisenään jotta
hautuu ihmislapsen luut.
Jahvetti hän pihanurmikolla makaa, herttaisella nautinnolla tuntein
kevään polton seljässänsä.
Puree ruohonkortta.
Painaa päänsä nuoreen ruohokkoon
ja katselee kuinka itikat niin monenlaiset siellä hyörii.
Pörrää ampiaiset - uinahtaapi mies ja hymyilee.
* * * * *
Herää hirmuisehen meteliin.
Lehmät ammuu, vasikat kuin villit hyppii.
Piiat, rengit juoksee niin kuin ois tulipalo.
Pajupillit kimeästi kaiken yli soivat.
Huomaa Jahvettikin - piiat nyt karjan ensi kertaa ulos toivat.
Uni silmistä on hälvennyt
ja hän katsoo kuinka häviääpi juosten karja metsään.
Pihaan jääpi piika Maija vaan.
Ja kaukaa soivat paimenien pajupillit oivat.
Jahvetti hän jääpi tuijottamaan pitkäks aikaa mielikuvaan samaan.
Piika Maija kuinka rivakasti liikkui karjan kesken,
hääräten paljain pohkein, aina polviin asti nostettuna hame raitainen!
Nyt hän seisoo tuossa portahalla punaposkisena.
Rinta huohottaa hihattoman piikkopaidan alla.
Hymyten hän suorii uhkeaa tukkaa, auvennutta kahakassa.
Tulee siihen, selkä kippurassa, talon kissa, hankaa kylkeään Maijan
pohkeesehen pyöreän pyöreään. -
* * * * *
Näky tuo se Jahvettihin sytti oudon himon.
Ranttehelle hän astui, ähkyin hirren pisimmän nosti
ja sen maahan jymähytti.
Aaro Hellaakoski
Erhard Hans Josef Lang
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7.
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Stefan Zweig (translation with the original in German)
Fulminating, irradescent, roaring,
life takes leaps onward to,
tears away to come along,
and it lets go again of none,
it renders hot, and renders bold,
and makes one joyous and great,
shakes one up and makes one be
more alert with a powerful nudge,
never it allows the tidings of splendour to ebb away,
no it never does -
it seizes you and holds you,
gushing towards onto you,
a torrent takes hold of you,
with you speeding away,
what no wild creek, no whirlwind,
no flood waters can do,
this breathing has done it already thousands of times,
this hot, searing, crystal-clear word.
Cool then and still like a Nordic lake,
glistening and soft like snow falling fresh,
it comes to stand vis-a-vis us,
like a multitude of primeval gold,
that is rolling through the fingers heavy and of an aged red,
beautiful like otherwise only an unspeakable dream,
that looks at you with deep shine from out of a darkening space -
and rises then up, as if reflecting on itself,
and again takes to seizing,
tears away to come along,
yells at you, laughs at you, weeps at you: that am I!
And what takes you into its grip is a longing-for
that is sweet and hauling,
a longing after people, a hot: 'Promise! '
and then it is fading away sounding like a nightingale song.
by Selma Meerbaum-Eisinger (1924 - 1942) , Jewish descendant of German settlers in Romania, deported & liquidated on December 16th 1942 by the Nazis during WW II
translated by Erhard Hans Josef Lang after its original in German:
STEFAN ZWEIG
Selma Meerbaum-Eisinger
Leuchtendes, glühendes rauschendes Leben
springt an und reißt mit und läßt keinen mehr los,
macht heiß und macht kühn und macht freudig und groß,
rüttelt auf und macht wacher mit kraftvollem Stoß,
läßt die Fluten von Glanz nie und nimmer verebben -
packt dich und hält dich und sprudelt dich an.
Sturzflut erfaßt dich und rast mit dir dort -
was kein Wildbach, kein Wirbel, kein Hochwasser kann,
hat dies Atmen vieltausende Male schon getan,
dieses heiße, verzehrende, glasklare Wort.
Kühl dann und still wie ein nordischer See,
glitzernd und weich wie frisch fallender Schnee,
steht es uns an wie viel uraltes Gold,
das altrot und schwer durch die Finger rollt
und schön ist wie sonst nur unsagbarer Traum,
der dich ansieht, tiefleuchtend aus dunkelndem Raum -
und bäumt sich dann auf, als besinne es sich,
und packt wieder an und reißt wieder mit,
schreit dich an, lacht dich an, weint dich an: das bin ich!
Und es packt dich ein Sehnen, das süß ist und zieht,
ein Sehnen nach Menschen, ein heißes: 'Versprich! '
und dann klingt es aus wie ein Nachtigall-Lied.
Note: Stefan Zweig was a Jewish Austrian biographer, essayist,
short-story writer, and cosmopolitan, who advocated the idea of an united Europe under one government. Zweig achieved fame with his vivid and psychoanalytically-oriented biographies of historical characters.
He was born on November 28th,1881 in Vienna, Austria.
He studied philosophy, and then started writing poetry, dramas and translated many French works into German. Eager pacifist, he was dreaming of an united Europe; the First World War deeply hurt him, and was a turning-point in his career.
He started writing short stories, which had great success and made him very famous. But because he was Jew, he had to leave Austria in 1934. Unfortunately nowhere could he find peace of mind, and his despair concerning the war made him commit suicide at Petropolis (Brazil) , on the 22th February,1942, where he and his 2nd wife, his former secretary, who followed him, got a state funeral.
Erhard Hans Josef Lang
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8.
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Strictly Sarcastic - Bohemian Decree
Have a big feast made and have all
the beggars of your country invited there,
and when they're all inside a huge tent
prepared for that occasion,
and they're all eating and feasting,
then quickly have the big drome
on each of its four corners
lighted up simultaneously,
and have it all burned down,
the tent along with all
the bloody beggars inside there,
and you'd be rid of all the bastards
in one efficient strike!
The same thing could be done with any other grouping -
in case if you chose to rather have the beggars
dancing on your table
and instead sacrifice any other class of mischieve makers.
For instance, why don't the narcotic commands
go out in their respective domains
and dry 'em all out literally -
by burning all them stuff users up,
for an end to be reached to
their ill-fated miserable feud
against syndicated drug ring leaders,
if this really were, as they say,
the acclaimed aim of their hunting game.
And, on a grass-root level drive again,
bring all them visibly high-riding
downside faces of modern society, and
our deranged & perverted drugs culture, around tables,
on one day in a year, on
a sort of pacifier holiday,
on which the law officially would
keep all their eyes closed, and on which,
for the same purpose as in the case study above,
a huge tent were to be put up to
accommodate all of them dreaded substance gimmickers,
for all of them to be joined happy together
under one roof, and
lavishly feed them to their squirming hearts' delights
on all sorts of herbs & drugs
whatever they're fit to take in,
with your fire-works superintendants in the back,
posted at the four corners of the freaky holidayers tent,
whetting their flint-stones and polishing their sun magnifying glasses,
while waiting for their sign to strike it off
at the right moment.
And there they'd all go -
go up in one column of smoke.
Or what would you rather want to get rid of?
I say Hitler should have simply abolished money,
the root of all evil, to
find that wanted salvation and peace for his nation,
and not go after Jews, gypsies and gays,
the jobless and vagabonds!
Having evil money abolished still were
the best thing that could happen to our world.
And it wouldn't even take another Hitler to get it done,
if only all the people would want it to happen!
Erhard Hans Josef Lang
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