Perhaps I'm traveling through heavy mountains
in hard veins, as in an ore alone,
and I'm so deep within I can't see far
or to the end, for all has become near
and all that's near has become stone.
I still have no experience of sorrow,
so this enormous darkness makes me small;
but if it's you, make yourself hard, break through,
that your entire hand holds on to me
and I hold you with my entire cry.
(first revision)
Perhaps I'm traveling through heavy mountains
in hard veins, like an ore alone,
and I'm so deep inside I can't see far
or to the end: all has become near
and all that's near has become stone.
I still have little knowledge of misfortune,
so this great darkness makes me small;
but if it's You, make yourself hard, break in,
that your whole hand holds on to me
and I hold you with my whole cry.
(original)
Perhaps I'm traveling through heavy mountains
in hard veins, like an ore alone,
and I'm so deep inside I can't see far
or to the end, and all has become near
and all that's near has become stone.
I still have little knowledge of misfortune,
so this great darkness makes me small;
but if it's you, make yourself hard, break through,—
that all your being grasps my destiny
and I grasp you with all my soul.*
*I am not sure I have 'grasped' the last two lines.
Vielleicht, daß ich durch schwere Berge gehe
in harten Adern, wie ein Erz allein;
und bin so tief, daß ich kein Ende sehe
und keine Ferne: alles wurde Nähe
und alle Nähe wurde Stein.
Ich bin ja noch kein Wissender im Wehe, —
so macht mich dieses große Dunkel klein;
bist Du es aber: mach dich schwer, brich ein:
daß deine ganze Hand an mir geschehe
und ich an dir mit meinem ganzen Schrein.
