(translation by Stephen Mitchell)

Notes: This is Rilke’s self-composed epitaph; in the original German:

        Rose, oh reiner Widerspruch, Lust
        Niemandes Sclaf zu sein unter soviel
        Lidern.

The Tanith Lee poem [Poem #1366] reminded me of today’s poem by Rilke.

“Lidern” could be a pun on “Lieder”, songs, poems. Lips like roses is a cliche, but lips like rose petals, clinically precise, a matter of texture not color, isn’t.

— Tim

Martin adds

I find the line breaks in this poem confusing - could someone who speaks German tell me whether they’re more natural in the original?

Links

  Another translation, and a biography:
    [broken link] http://www.geocities.com/Paris/LeftBank/4027/bio.html