Rainer Maria Rilke - You, you only, exist
Ivan M. Granger August 18th, 2008
You, you only, exist.
by Rainer Maria Rilke
English version by Stephen Mitchell
You, you only, exist.
We pass away, till at last,
our passing is so immense
that you arise: beautiful moment,
in all your suddenness,
arising in love, or enchanted
in the contraction of work.
To you I belong, however time may
wear me away. From you to you
I go commanded. In between
the garland is hanging in chance; but if you
take it up and up and up: look:
all becomes a festival!
— from Ahead of All Parting: The Selected Poetry and Prose of Rainer Maria Rilke, Translated by Stephen Mitchell
/ Photo by spisharam /
Something for you today by the great German poet, visionary, and anti-war activist Rilke.
We pass away, till at last,
our passing is so immense
that you arise: beautiful moment…
Mmm. I think I’ll just let his lines hang in the air:
From you to you…
take it up and up and up: look:
all becomes a festival!
Have a beautiful day!
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Rainer Maria Rilke
Germany (1875 - 1926) Timeline |
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As I read the poem, I was mystified, and hurriedly scrolled down to read Ivan’s interpretation. And it made me smile with relief that I was not the only one who didn’t know
what Rainer Maria Rilke was saying.
I would say that Rilke is using the same language many mystics use — the fading of the little self, to be replaced by the recognition of a wider and joyful sense of being. Whether he would overtly call the “you” of this poem God, he is clearly referring to a transcendent “you.”
Try rereading the poem from that perspective, and see whether it holds more meaning for you then…
Then again, maybe I have no idea what he’s saying. Sometimes that’s the best way to read a poem
Ivan
Respected Sir, Your interpretations are always commendable and much more commendable are the pictures you put to depict the depth of the meaning of the poem. Thanks for doing all that…………Subhan Ali
Thank you too, Subhan Ali, for your message. It is always a deep joy for me to be able to share my love of sacred poetry… and I enjoy the ‘treasure hunt’ of searching for just the right photograph to accompany each poem.
Ivan