Rainer Maria Rilke - As once the winged energy of delight

October 3, 2009

from IVAN

Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana --

As once the winged energy of delight

By Rainer Maria Rilke

(1875 - 1926)

English version by Stephen Mitchell

As once the winged energy of delight

carried you over childhood's dark abysses,

now beyond your own life build the great

arch of unimagined bridges.

Wonders happen if we can succeed

in passing through the harshest danger;

but only in a bright and purely granted

achievement can we realize the wonder.

To work with Things in the indescribable

relationship is not too hard for us;

the pattern grows more intricate and subtle,

and being swept along is not enough.

Take your practiced powers and stretch them out

until they span the chasm between two

contradictions... For the god

wants to know himself in you.

-- from Ahead of All Parting: The Selected Poetry and Prose of Rainer Maria Rilke, Translated by Stephen Mitchell Amazon.com

/ Photo by u07ch /

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Thought for the Day:

Liberation is already brought about. It is already here.

What is truly essential is to fully engage yourself.

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Here's your Daily Music selection --

Various

World Festival of Sacred Music - Los Angeles 2002

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Hi Alan -

My apologies -- I'm running late today after a morning spent troubleshooting problems with phone lines. Phones and email should now be working again... So how about a poem for this Friday?

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So many lines in this poem by Rilke just dance, don't they?

As once the winged energy of delight

carried you over childhood's dark abysses...

The "winged energy of delight" carrying us over "childhood's dark abysses." Mm.

....now beyond your own life build the great

arch of unimagined bridges

You know, I could go line by line through this poem, and merely rotate my responses with "Wow!" and "Wonderful!" and "Love that!"

Why don't I let you do that instead.

Once we've gotten past that reaction, then we can begin to hear what he's really saying.

For the god

wants to know himself in you.

Have a blessed weekend! (Me, I'm going for a drive in the mountains to be among the aspens at their golden peak...)

Ivan

Share Your Thoughts on today's poem or my commentary...

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