Saturday, June 27, 2009

Dove that Ventured Outside, by Rainer Maria Rilke

Missoulasunsetnl_copy

Dove that ventured outside, 

flying far from the dovecote:
housed and protected again,

one with the day, the night,
knows what serenity is,  

for she has felt her wings
pass through all distance and fear

in the course of her wanderings.

The doves that remained at home,

never exposed to loss,
innocent and secure, 

cannot know tenderness;
only the won-back heart 

can ever be satisfied: free,
through all it has given up,  

to rejoice in its mastery. 

Being arches itself

over the vast abyss.
Ah the ball that we dared,

that we hurled into infinite space,
Doesn’t it fill our hands

differently with its return:
heavier by the weight

of where it has been.

Rainer Maria Rilke

Ahead of All Parting:  The Selected Poetry and Prose of Rainer Maria Rilke

8 comments:

~h~ said...

Rilke was a fine fine poet. Wonderful poem. :)

Zuzana said...

Beautiful; very illustrative and reflective of the way I feel right now.
Have a lovely weekend.
xoxo

Rosaria Williams said...

I don't know too many people who know of Rilke. I'm glad to read this on your blog. Love the lines:

"Ah the ball that we dared, that we hurled into infinite space, doesn't it fill our hands dirrerently with its return: heavier by the weight of where it has been."

Very true! Experience changes us.

angela recada said...

How wonderful to see Rilke here!

I've always enjoyed his poetry, especially in the original German. This is a very lovely translation!

Thanks for posting it!

Hugs,
Angela

Unknown said...

I didn't know her, Thanks for the introduction. I'll have to google her to find out more.

Woman in a Window said...

I share my favorite lines with Rosario. How that ball grows in size, too.

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

. . . "heavier" and wiser. His words transcend ego and speak of deep, interior places . . . thank you . . . love the photo preceding the poem.

sallymandy said...

Thanks, everybody. I had never heard this poem before, but took to it right away. Does anyone remember the movie "Awakenings" with Robin Williams?

That was where I first heard of Rilke, and ever since then have enjoyed more of his works.