Night Thoughts

"Will ich ein Komet sein? Ich glaube."
--Hölderlin

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Three Translations of Goethe's

Nachtgedanken
Euch bedaur ich, unglückselige Sterne,
Die ihr schön seid und so herrlich scheinet,
Dem bedrängten Schiffer gerne leuchtet,
Unbelohnt von Göttern und von Menschen:
Denn ihr liebt nicht, kanntet nie die Liebe!
Unaufhaltsam führen ewge Stunden
Eure Reihen durch den weiten Himmel.
Welche Reise habt ihr schon vollendet!
Seit ich weilend in dem Arm der Liebsten
Euer und der Mitternacht vergessen.


1. Night Thoughts [My trans.]
You I mourn, unfortunate stars,
You who fair are and gloriously shine,
Downcast sailors gladly enlightening,
Uncompensated by gods or men:
For you love not, nor ever know love!
Unfailingly leading for hours eternal
Your rows through the wide skies.
Which journeys have you finished
Since I dwelt in beloved's arms
Forgetting you and the midnight?



2. Night Thoughts
Stars, you are unfortunate, I pity you,
Beautiful as you are, shining in your glory,
Who guide seafaring men through stress and peril
And have no recompense from gods or mortals,
Love you do not, nor do you know what love is.
Hours that are aeons urgently conducting
Your figures in a dance through the vast heaven,
What journey have you ended in this moment,
Since lingering in the arms of my beloved
I lost all memory of you and midnight.

3. Night Thoughts
Oh, unhappy stars! your fate I mourn,
Ye by whom the sea-toss'd sailor's lighted,
Who with radiant beams the heav'ns adorn,
But by gods and men are unrequited:
For ye love not,--ne'er have learnt to love!
Ceaselessly in endless dance ye move,
In the spacious sky your charms displaying,
What far travels ye have hasten'd through,
Since, within my loved one's arms delaying,
I've forgotten you and midnight too!

It's interesting how differently the ideas move over the language into English.

. . .