some Rilke, though we're far from autumn

Herbsttag

Herr: es ist Zeit. Der Sommer war sehr gross.
Leg deinen Schatten auf die Sonnenuhren,
und auf den Fluren lass die Winde los.

Befiehl den letzten Fruchten voll zu sein;
gieb innen noch zwei sudlichere Tage,
drange sie zur Vollendung hin und jage
die letzte Susse in den schweren Wein.

Wer jetzt kein Haus hat, baut sich keines mehr.
Wer jetzt allein ist, wird es lange bleiben,
wird wachen, lesen, lange Briefe schreiben
und wird in den Alleen hin und her
unruhig wandern, wenn die Blatter treiben.

-- Rainer Maria Rilke, Paris, Sept. 21, 1902

Lord: it is time. The huge summer has gone by.
Now overlap the sundials with your shadows,
and on the meadows let the wind go free.

Command the fruits to swell on tree and vine;
grant them a few more warm transparent days,
urge them on to fulfillment then, and press
the final sweetness into the heavy wine.

Whoever has no house now, will never have one.
Whoever is alone will stay alone,
will sit, read, write long letters through the evening,
and wander the boulevards, up and down,
restlessly, while the dry leaves are blowing.

Translated by Stephen Mitchell, "The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke" (Random House)

Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh

Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
(Translation by Milan Kundera)

Über allen Gipfeln
Ist Ruh,
In allen Wipfeln
Spürest du
Kaum einen Hauch;
Die Vögelein schweigen im Walde.
Warte nur, balde
Ruhest du auch.

On all hilltops
There is peace,
In all treetops
You will hear
Hardly a breath.
Birds in the woods are silent.
Just wait, soon
You too will rest.

like night and day

the night is so cool, so much less demanding than the day. when it's dark i am not tired anymore, there is a strange energy that rushes in and does not leave until the next morning. when i have to wake up.
the sun must really be mad. because the day is not his anymore. our days are owned by others who pay us, and the sun has lost all his children to offices, cubes, and all the other gray matter inside concrete buildings. the sun does not have any money to buy us back, all it has is free energy but for the needs of our fast-paced life, its energy is no good.
when will the night cease to be fun.