Rilke's AUTUMN DAY.

Lord: it is time.  The summer was immense,
 Lay your shadow on the sundials
 and let loose the wind in the fields.
 
Bid the last fruits to be full;
 give them another two more southerly days,
 press them to ripeness, and chase
 the last sweetness into the heavy wine.

Whoever has no house now will not build one anymore.
 Whoever is alone now will remain so for a long time,
 will stay up, read, write long letters,
 and wander the avenues, up and down,
 restlessly, while the leaves are blowing.
                      :: Rilke, Paris, September 21, 1902

Comments

[- kp -]

"Herr, es ist Zeit."

That's all I remember from the opening lines of this poem, which I read as a junior in college with my German professor during an independent study. It was good then, is good now. Thanks for the reminder!

- kp -

[Reno]

Glorious bro . . . beautiful in dialogue with your picture too!

Heidegger thought Rilke was the best example of a poet unconcealing the reality of the world.

Beautiful, just beautiful.

r

[April]

Thanks for sharing that one, Josh. The last stanza makes me curious if he was writing about anyone in particular. Reading Letters to a Young Poet recently was that good...and more.

[dag walker]

That's a lovely translation of Rilke's poem. Thanks for the effort.