Ingeborg Bachmann World Poems
- 1. Theme And Variation
That summer there was no honey.
The queens led their swarms away,
the strawberry bed dried up in a day,
the berrypickers went home early.
... - 2. Stay
Now the journey is ending,
the wind is losing heart.
Into your hands it's falling,
a rickety house of cards.
... - 3. A Kind Of Loss
Used together: seasons, books, a piece of music.
The keys, teacups, bread basket, sheet and a bed.
A hope chest of words, of gestures, brought back, used, used up.
A household order maintained. Said. Done. And always a head was there.
... - 4. To The Sun
More beatiful than the remarkable moon and her noble light,
More beautiful than the stars, the famous medals of the night,
More beautiful than the fiery entrance a comet makes,
And called to a part far more splendid than any other planet's
... - 5. Psalm
1
Be silent with me, as all bells are silent!
... - 6. The Game Is Over (das Spiel Ist Aus)
My dear brother, when will we build a raft?
to float down the sky on??
My dear brother, soon our load will be so heavy?
that we'll sink.
... - 7. I Know No Better World
Who knows of a better world should step forward.
Alone, no longer out of bravery, not wiping away this saliva,
this saliva worn upon the cheek
as if to a coronation, as if redeemed, whether at communion
...
