A Thousand Dimensions ~ Eastertide ~ A View : Rainer Maria Rilke ~ Part I of III
Rainer Maria Rilke[i]
Originally written in German[ii]
and translated and edited
by
Joanna Macy & Anita Barrows
The Last Supper
They are assembled around him, troubled and confused.
He seems withdrawn,
I said, strangely, he were flowing past.
Those to whom he had belonged.
The old aloneness comes over him.
It had prepared him for his deep work.
Now, once again, he will go out to the olive groves.
Now those who love him will flee from him.
He had them come to this last meal.
Their hands on the bread
tremble now at the words he speaks,
tremble in sudden silence
as a forest does when a gun is fired.
They long to leave, and they will.
But they will find him everywhere.
Poem by Rilke
Book of Images
The Olive Grove (I)
He went out under the grey leaves,
all grey and indistinct, this olive grove,
and buried his dusty face
in the dust of his hot hands.
It has come to this. Is this how it ends?
Must I continue when I'm going blind?
Why do you want me to say you exist?
When I no longer find you myself?
I cannot find you anymore.
Not within me.
Not in others.
Not in these stones.
I find you no longer.
I am alone.
I am alone with everyone's sorrow,
the sorrow I tried to believe through you,
you who do not exist. Oh, unspeakable shame.
Later, they would say an angel came.
Poem by Rilke
New Poems
The Olive Grove (II)
They would say an Angel came.
Why Angel? What came was night,
moving indifferently amidst the trees.
The disciples stirred in their dreams.
Why an Angel? What came was night.
The night that came was like any other,
dogs sleeping, stones lying there--
like any night of grief,
to be survived till morning comes.
Angels do not answer prayers like that,
nor do they let eternity break through.
Nothing protects those who lose themselves.
Poem by Rilke
New Poems
[i] Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) HarperOne (Harper Collins Publishers) inside back cover reads: One of the most widely read modern poets, Rilke became known and respected with the publication of the Book of Hours, when he was in his twenties. He is now most famous for his letters to a young poet, published during the same time, which continues to inspire generations of writers.
[ii] The inside front covers reads further: One of the most beloved poets of the twentieth century, Rainer Maria Rilke is widely celebrated for his depth of insight and timeless relevance. He has influenced generations of writers with his classic Letters to a Young Poet, and his reflections on the divine and our place in the world are disarmingly profound. A Year With Rilke provides the first ever reading from Rilke for everyday of the year, including selections from his luminous poetry, his piercing prose, and his intimate letters and journals. Rilke is a trusted guide amid the bustle of our daily experience, reflecting on such themes as impermanence, the beauty of creation, the voice of God, and the importance of solitude. With new translations from the editors, whose acclaimed translation of Rilke’s, The Book of Hours won an ardent readership, this collection reveals the depth and breadth of Rilke’s acclaimed work.
The provocative image is deliberate, more in keeping with modernity.
4 April 2023
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© 2023 Kenneth Thomas Webb
Ken Webb is a writer and proofreader. His website, kennwebb.com, showcases his work as a writer, blogger and podcaster, resting on his successive careers as a police officer, progressing to a junior lawyer in succession and trusts as a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives, a retired officer with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, and latterly, for three years, the owner and editor of two lifestyle magazines in Liverpool.
He also just handed over a successful two year chairmanship in Gloucestershire with Cheltenham Regency Probus.
Pandemic aside, he spends his time equally between his city, Liverpool, and the county of his birth, Gloucestershire.
In this fast-paced present age, proof-reading is essential. And this skill also occasionally leads to copy-editing writers’ manuscripts for submission to publishers and also student and post graduate dissertations.
