This...
... wonderful, truth seeking,
leaving all earthly things
behind it,
like an eagle soaring
through the air,
gliding majestically,
leaving the small domiciles of the lowly
far, far below, while from above,
creating new associations for the world,
this overarching, always developing
new, freedom-infused thoughts,
while viewing all else,
the unspeakable,
with supernatural pity...
... whipping up the creative forces,
overcoming obstacles,
always driving forward,
giving all musicality
its uniqueness,
this heaven exploring,
seizing the baton,
galloping over everything
with blistering lightning
and wild eyes,
always in time,
chopping up little notes,
and reordering them with a soup spoon,
rattling on the plate,
raking into
the lame, earth-bound,
base, black, burrowing ever deeper
into the orchestral pit,
digging into and catapulting out of,
twitching in itself,
gripped with pain,
always demanding the utmost
of others,
pulling them up high,
this brilliant heart.
That which fills you so unspeakably
with bliss or agony,
sending letters and telegrams
so punctually,
rushing off to the next trip,
slipping into the next concert,
never seeing
anything else around it,
demanding timely filling
of the bathtub,
inspired by the baseness of others,
and yet deeply despairing in itself,
faltering, rattling,
soon-no-longer-to-be-functioning heart.
In the end it's just
a lump of flesh with two valves.
When my darling has her wedding day
Her joyous wedding
I will have my day of sadness
I will go into my little room
My dark little room
I will weep, weep for my darling
For my dear darling
Mahler, strangely enough,
noticed me right away.
Saw me through his glasses... He paid
no attention to his table companion.
He immediately started looking at me
through his glasses, kept looking.
His table companion,
he just left her by the wayside.
He noticed me right away!
And then we just smiled. I was sitting
between Burkhard and Klimt.
He just kept looking over.
And his table companion,
she was simply nonexistent.
Her evening was not at all nice!
He was with me,
and then he came over,
and invited me
to the dress rehearsal.
And the table companion,
she immediately came too.
And then, the next day,
he came to me immediately, and...
The songs awaken my love
Again and again
The love awakens my songs
Again and again
The lips that dream
Of your fervent kisses
In song and in melody
Of you they must tell
And if my thoughts
Were to dismiss love
Then my songs would come to me
With love's lament
The two hold me in tethers
Again and again
The song awakens my love
Love awakens my songs
His need to express himself
musically and symphonically
begins only there
where the dark sentiments reign.
At the gate which
leads into another world.
The world in which things
do not fall apart by time and place.
Why do you look so dejected,
it's great.
Katharina?
The songs awaken my love
again and again!
The songs awaken my love,
again and again.
Oh, little red rose
Man lies in greatest need
Man lies in greatest pain
Ever would I prefer
To be in Heaven
Once I came upon a wide road
There came a little angel
And wanted to turn me away
But no, I would not be turned away
I am of God
And wish to return to God
Beloved God, the beloved God
Will give me a little light
Will illuminate my path
To eternal
Blessed life
Excuse me, but...
Just listen closely.
Look carefully at him.
I mean, he was in Austria.
You have to get over that first.
Hello?
What...
What do you expect of someone
whose genius was shoved into his baton?
I mean, if you... Oh, thank you.
If you add something harmful,
he'll get sick. From the inside, then...
Then something will happen
that you can't prevent. Then...
No, thanks.
Then he smells the Earth again,
walks on water,
and sings, and...
... then he sings very deep.
He didn't want to find peace.
He just took the music into the violence
in order to resist the violence with it.
I don't know what's wrong with me
I am... Ouch!
Yet I am not well
I am injured yet I have no wound
I don't know what's wrong with me
I'd love to eat
But nothing tastes any good
I have some money
But it does me no good
I don't know what's wrong with me
I don't even have any snuff
And have not...
That hurts, stop it!
I don't even have any snuff
And have not even a farthing
In my pocket
I don't know what's wrong with me
What's wrong with me
I would also gladly get married
But I cannot stand children's screaming
I don't know what's wrong with me
Just today
I asked my doctor...
He told me to my face:
Now I know what's wrong with you
What's wrong with you
A fool you certainly are
Now I know what's wrong with me
What's wrong with me
Between three and four in the morning
We soldiers have to march
Up and down the alleyway
My darling is gazing down
Oh, brother, now I'm shot
The bullet has hit me badly
Carry me to my quarters
It's not very far from here
Oh, brother, I cannot carry you
The enemies have beaten us
May dear God help you
I must, I must march unto death
Oh, brothers, oh, brothers
You pass me by
As if it were all over with me
I must, I must march
You offend me
I must play the drum
Or else I will lose myself
The brothers sown thick
The brothers sown thick
They lie as if they've been mowed
He plays the drum up and down
There they are again
In the night quarters
They beat us, their enemy
A terror beats the enemy
He plays the drum up and down
Again they are at the night quarters
Out into the ally
They stand before darling's house
They stand before darling's house
Simon, don't stick your pelvis out
quite so much,
let it hang more. And a wider stance...
You don't have that kind of pelvis...
I didn't make it wide.
Well, but... yes you did!
The whole time it was like this...
The knees. Keep them straight.
-Okay...
Don't lock them,
but don't do this either.
You're really exaggerating.
A little bit, perhaps, but...
Is this good? Look from the side.
No, from over there.
I can see it. You're still doing it.
You stand here.
-Okay. How? I'm standing.
That doesn't really look better.
-Well, yes, it does. I'm not like this.
I'm standing... Well, here's my head,
here are my feet.
-Let me see.
I'm not the problem.
This is about you.
Let me try now.
You don't have to hold yourself
like that.
Is this better?
You don't have to pose...
In the morning there stand the bones
In rank and file
Standing like tombstones
The drum is at the front
So that she can see him
You always push your pelvis forward,
and your knees forward, and...
-I didn't mean to. I'm really open.
I wanted to learn from you, Annedore,
but I didn't learn a thing. Sadly.
I just wanted to help.
-Annedore, helping is something else.
Well, all right, but...
When I help the others, they're
much more open, and they like it.
Why are you looking at me like that?
Great! I'm stuck.
No, no...
Oh, now I'm...
Pale...
... skinny,
smallish in stature.
A strange, bobbing gait.
Unusually irritable.
An intellectually tense,
extremely affected and narrow face.
With a full, brown beard.
The steep forehead
framed in dark-black hair.
A full, brown beard?
Okay, yes.
Notable eyes behind the glasses.
In his face, wrinkles
of humor and of suffering.
Very emphasized speech, characterized by
a strong Austrian accent.
He came from Bohemia.
Always carrying books or sheet music.
-Yes, I saw that once, from afar.
Conversation with him
usually sporadic.
Genius and demon at the same time.
You little cutie,
you little adorable darling, you...
... darling little thing,
with those eyes,
such a cute, adorable sweetie-pie!
You're so cute,
I could just eat you up!
So cute, so very...
Often I think
They have only stepped out
And that soon they will come home again
The day is fair
Oh, do not be afraid
They are only taking a long walk
Surely, they have just stepped out
And will now return home
Oh, don't you worry
The day is fair
They are just taking a walk
To those hills
They have simply gone on ahead
And they will not wish
To return home
We shall catch up to them
On those hills
In the sunshine
The day is fair
On these hills
The two blue eyes
Of my darling
They have sent me
Into the wide world
I had to bid farewell
To this beloved place
Oh, eyes so blue
Why did you gaze upon me?
Now I suffer eternal sorrow
And grief
I went out
Into the quiet night
Indeed across the dark heath
To me no one bid farewell
Farewell, farewell, farewell
My companions
Were love and sorrow
On the street
There stands a linden tree
There for the first time
I found rest in sleep
Beneath the linden tree
Its blossoms snowed down over me
I did not know how life would go on
And everything
Everything was well again
Everything, everything
Love and sorrow
And world
And dream
Who is outside?
And who is knocking?
Who can so softly
Softly awaken me?
It is your darling
Arise and let me in to see you
Why should I stand here any longer?
I see the dawn's early light arriving
The light of dawn
Two bright stars
With my darling I would gladly be
With my heart's most beloved
The maiden arose and let him in
And she did welcome him as well
Welcome, my beloved boy
So long you have stood outside
She reached to him her snow-white hand
From afar the nightingale sang
The maiden began to weep
Oh, do not cry, my darling
Next year I shall call you my own
My own you shall certainly be
As no one else on Earth is
Oh, love on this green Earth
I go to war on the green heath
The green heath that is so vast
There the beautiful trumpets blow
There is my house
My house of green grass
This year was different. He used to say,
"You don't need money, Almschi."
"Other people give rings,
but that's tasteless!"
"We don't need that.
You don't and neither do I."
But this year,
Christmas 1910 in New York,
this year was different. The checkbook
was normally locked away in my closet,
since I was always preoccupied,
and the checkbook could get lost.
This year, the checkbook was
in the city, and kept getting thinner.
Then came the presents,
and a lace tablecloth was called for,
and a huge pile of presents. At first
I had to be locked out, and then,
then I joined the gift giving.
What a pile of presents!
Under the lace tablecloth,
things I loved and he didn't,
like jewelry, shoes and perfume.
All those things I always wanted,
for ten years!
Things that now,
for the first time, he... and a receipt!
A receipt from my stroll
with my dear Almschili,
with my dearest Almschlili,
my dearest dearest Almsch...
... schili...
I am lost to the world
With which I used to waste so much time
It has heard nothing from me for so long
It may well think
That I have died
It is of no consequence to me
Whether it thinks me dead
I cannot even deny it
For really I am dead
Dead to the world
I am dead
Dead to the world's bustle
And I rest
I rest in a quiet realm
I live alone
In my Heaven
In my love
In my love
In my song
Katharina!
Frank, what are you doing?
You do realize
that you're ruining the moment?
That could be an...
It could be a composing cabin.
Is this a Christmas fairytale or what?
I don't understand it.
He always needs special attention.
First drowning, now this... Oh, well.
Do you need some help, perhaps,
with the...
Ioannis...
Ioannis, are you all right?
-Shh!
Is everything okay?
Is everything all right?
Look.
-Look at Anna. Look over there.
Anna is dancing just for you.
Now she's twirling...
-She's all alone.
Now you can go over. Now!
Just do something! Do it!
Come on...
Now stop it!
Maybe you could approach him? No?
-Anna?
If he won't...
Then maybe Ioannis after all?
-Ioannis, come on...
Look...
Now is the moment!
Look, she's coming closer. Now!
She... That's enough now.
This is where...
The sun departs
Behind the mountains
Evening descends upon all the valleys
With its shadows
Its cooling shadows
Oh, look!
Like a silver boat
The moon is floating
On the blue sky-lake above
I feel the fine wind
Blowing
Behind the dark spruce
The brook sings loudly
Through the darkness
The flowers look pale
In the twilight
The Earth breathes
Full of peace and sleep
And all yearning
Wishes to dream now
The weary people
Head for home
So that in sleep
Forgotten happiness
And youth can be relearned
The birds perch silently
Amidst their branches
The world falls asleep
A cool wind blows
In the shadows of my spruce
I stand here
And wait for my friend
I wait for him
For a last farewell
I yearn
Oh friend, at your side
To enjoy the beauty of this evening
Where are you?
You leave me alone for so long
I wander up and down
With my lute
On paths swelling with soft grass
Oh, beauty
Oh, eternal love-intoxicated
Life-intoxicated world
He immediately noticed me,
and his table companion
was just swept away!
Immediately!
He, the shining star of the night sky,
the most beautiful star
in the sky of society...
Immediately,
that other woman was swept away!
Swept away under the table,
she was... the table!
I was the most beautiful woman
in all of Vienna!
The most beautiful woman!
You almost tripped, you little...
... candy-colored, you...
You must have...
You must have blisters on your feet
from all that prancing back and forth
between men! Just look at you!
You spreading... you doll-nipply,
Barbie-doll spreading creature!
You little... with that...
... nothing-can-touch-me face,
with that...
... with that mouth!
You man-hunting,
haughty, smirking little...
... candy-creature, you!
With a little bit of penicillin,
he could've been... yes!
Yes, he could've!
And Schubert too!
And Mozart and Weber!
Yes, they could've been!
But they weren't!
And now we have to live with it!
He dismounted
And handed him the drink
The farewell drink
He asked him where he was going
And also why
Why must it be
Whether he eats, drinks or copulates,
or creates ascetic works of art,
in the end, we're all
heading for the urn anyway, okay?
And you, stop with your "Shh"!
I was bored with you
the whole time anyway, you...
... you petty Prussian!
You... you architect!
He spoke
His voice was veiled
You, my friend
In this world
Fortune has not been kind to me
Where am I going?
I go
I wander into the mountains
I seek peace
Peace for my lonely heart
I wander toward my homeland
The place I call home
Never will I stray to distant lands
Still is my heart
Waiting for its hour
The dear Earth
From everywhere
Blossoms the Spring
And new green sprouts forth
Everywhere
And eternally, eternally
Blue light in the distance
Eternally, eternally
BABELFISCH TRANSLATIONS
Peter Rigney
