The Swan Analysis

This laboring through what is still undone,
as though, legs bound, we hobbled along the way,
is like the akward walking of the swan.

And dying-to let go, no longer feel
the solid ground we stand on every day-
is like anxious letting himself fall

into waters, which receive him gently
and which, as though with reverence and joy,
draw back past him in streams on either side;
while, infinitely silent and aware,
in his full majesty and ever more
indifferent, he condescends to glide.


Translated by Stephen Mitchell

.: :.

While Mitchell's translation of "The Swan" is probably the best one available, it is still only a shadow of what I think is one of the most beautiful poems ever written. I will try to show the magic in Rilke's language by going word by word through the original, giving the different possible literal translations, and adding a few comments.
First though, this is the poem in it's entirety:
Der Schwan
Diese Mühsal, durch noch Ungetanes
schwer und wie gebunden hinzugehn,
gleicht dem ungeschaffnen Gang des Schwanes.
Und das Sterben, dieses Nichtmehrfassen
jenes Grunds, auf dem wir täglich stehn,
seinem ängstlichen Sich-Niederlassen:
in die Wasser, die ihn sanft empfangen
und die sich, wie glücklich und vergangen,
unter ihm zurückziehen, Flut um Flut;
während er unendlich still und sicher
immer mündiger und königlicher
und gelassener zu ziehn geruht.
Rainer Maria Rilke
So let's get to the analysis:
1. Der Schwan
The Swan

Comment:
Well, no problem here with the translation.
2. Diese Mühsal,
This travail/hardship
durch noch Ungetanes
through things that are still undone
schwer
heavy/difficult/hard
und wie gebunden
and as if bound
hinzugehn,
to go/walk
gleicht dem ungeschaffnen Gang des Schwanes.
is like the >uncreated< walking of the swan.

Comment:
What is this "hardship, to go, as if bound, through
things still undone"? It's living, of course. And
living, Rilke says, is like the >ungeschaffnen<
walking of a swan. There is no adequate translation
for this word. Mitchell choses x jenes Grunds, auf dem wir täglich stehn,
of the ground we stand on every day
seinem ängstlichen
his anxious/fearful
Sich-Niederlassen:
>settling-himselfsettling downtaking a seat<
Comment:
Rilke does magic with the German language: Take
three simple words: >nichtmehrfassen< - put
them all together, and you have the most amazing
noun!
4. in die Wasser, die ihn sanft empfangen
into waters, that receive him gently
und die sich, wie glücklich und vergangen,
and which, as if happy and long passed by,
unter ihm zurückziehen, Flut um Flut;
give way beneath him, wave by wave;
Comment:
Notice that the word >glücklich< is much heavier
than >happyglücklichat easemove away< he condescends.

| Posted on 2009-01-02 | by a guest