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Ik Ben Te Alleen in de Wereld

from Spittin' Pretty by Annick Odom

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about

I spent some hours messing around on a guitar (a fun lockdown activity!) and attempting a Dutch translation of the German poem "Ich bin auf der Welt zu allein und doch nicht allein genug" by Rainer Maria Rilke. Here's a first attempt, but I have the feeling I'll come back to it and try another version once I can go to the Poetry archives in the Netherlands.

lyrics

The original poem in German:

Ich bin auf der Welt zu allein und doch nicht allein genug,
um jede Studen zu weihen.
Ich bin auf der Welt zu gering und doch nicht klein genug,
um vor dir zu sein wie ein Ding,
dunkel und klug.
Ich will meinen Willen und will meinen Willen begleiten
die Wege zur Tat;
und will in stillen, irgendwie zörgernden Zeiten,
wenn etwas naht,
unter den Wissenden sein
oder allein.
Ich will dich immer spiegeln in ganzer Gestalt,
und will niemals blind sein oder zu alt,
um dein schweres schwankendes Bild zu halten.
Ich will mich entfalten.
Nirgends will ich gebogen bleiben,
denn dort bin ich gelogen, wo ich gebogen bin.
Und ich will meinen Sinn
wahr vor dir. Ich will mich beschreiben
wie ein Bild, das ich sah,
lange und nah,
wie ein Wort, das ich begriff,
wie meinen täglichen Krug,
wie meiner Mutter Gesicht,
wie ein Schiff,
das mich trug
durch den tödlichsten Sturm.

English translation:
(from https://thefloatinglibrary.com/2010/01/02/i-am-too-alone-in-the-world-and-yet-not-alone-enough/)

I am too alone in the world, and yet not alone enough 
to make every hour holy.

I am too small in the world, and yet not tiny enough 
just to stand before you like a thing, 
dark and shrewd.

I want my will, and I want to be with my will
as it moves towards deed;
 and in those quiet, somehow hesitating times,
when something is approaching,
 I want to be with those who are wise
 or else alone.

I want always to be a mirror that reflects your whole being, 
and never to be too blind or too old
 to hold your heavy, swaying image.

I want to unfold. 
Nowhere do I want to remain folded,
 because where I am bent and folded, there I am lying.

And I want my meaning 
true for you.
I want to describe myself
 like a painting that I studied
 closely for a long, long time,
 like a word I finally understood,
 like the pitcher of water I use every day, 
like the face of my mother,
 like a ship
 that carried me 
through the deadliest storm of all.

credits

from Spittin' Pretty, released May 1, 2020

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about

Annick Odom Morgantown, West Virginia

Annick Odom is a Belgian-American double bassist and clarinetist. Her ongoing solo project, "West Virginia, My Home," explores the region of Appalachia in the United States through new commissions of pieces inspired by the area and by learning of (sometimes old and sometimes folk) songs from musicians still living in the region. ... more

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