Postscript | The "me" and my "idea of me"

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by Hans Davidsohn (1887 - 1942), as Jakob van Hoddis

Translation © by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947)

Postskriptum

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Das Ur-Ich und die Ich-idee
gingen selbander im grünen Klee,
Die Ich-Idee fiel hin im Gras,
Das Ur-ich wurde vor Schreck ganz blaß.
Da sprach das Ur- zur Ich-Idee:
"Was wandelst du im grünen Klee?"
Da sprach die Ich-Idee zum Ur-:
"Ich wandle nur auf deiner Spur."-
Da, Freunde, hub sich große Not:
Ich schlug mich gegenseitig tot.

Published in Aktion.

Text Authorship:

by Hans Davidsohn (1887 - 1942), as Jakob van Hoddis, "Postskriptum", first published 1913 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Postskriptum", 2010 [medium voice and piano] [ sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "Postscript", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-02-03
Line count: 10
Word count: 58

Postscript

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

The "me" and my "idea of me"
Both strolled through the green clover,
The "idea of me" fell down in the grass,
And the "me" went pale out of shock.
Then the "me" spoke to the "idea of me":
"Why do we stroll in the green clover?"
Then the "idea of me" spoke back to the "me":
"I wander in search of your trace."-
Thus, friends, there came great distress:
I beat myself by agreement between us to death.

Text Authorship:

by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Postscript", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Hans Davidsohn (1887 - 1942), as Jakob van Hoddis, "Postskriptum", first published 1913
- Go to the text page.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-02-03
Line count: 10
Word count: 79