day 54 - a sarah kirsch translation

i promised a female poet last monday, so this week's podcast is a sarah kirsch translation of her poem Ich bin sehr sanft, called "I am very mild". she was born in 1935 and started publishing her poetry in 1960. here's the audioversion, too.

i know it has been a lot of winter and spring and angels and all that, so my promise for next week would be a different topic of choice.


I am very mild

I am very mild call
me camomile
my fingers are tender build
churches in your hand my nails
wingscales of angels caress I am
a summer an autumn even a winter in spring
I would like to be where you
show me the country we go
from lake to lake which needs
a long lucky existence
the fish are two
the birds build nests we
are of the same feather


Ich bin sehr sanft

Ich bin sehr sanft nenn
mich Kamille
meine Finger sind zärtlich bau'n
Kirchen in deiner Hand meine Nägel
Flügelschuppen von Engeln liebkosen ich bin
der Sommer der Herbst selbst der Winter im Frühling
möchte ich bei dir sein du
zeigst mir das Land wir gehn
von See zu See da braucht es
ein langes glückliches Leben
die Fische sind zwei
die Vögel bau'n Nester wir
stehn auf demselben Blatt