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humans

Erich Fried
this site contains the german originals
& my own translations
i hope despite my incomplete english
you get the confusing depth
of Erich Fried's verses

ashes

reckless artistic nature

learning process

anxiety and doubt

earn and bear

constructive self criticism

speechless

preservation of materia

strange child

liberation from the big idols

need knows no command

of the inner freedom

abandoned room

a collector

reasons

one agitated poet's questions

the edge

what it is

  ashes

i am the ashes
of my flames
whose firewood
i became
which minced me
as i was an ax
held
by my hands
which burned me
untill i searched
cooling
in my ashes



Asche

ich bin die Asche
meiner Flammen
deren Brennholz
ich wurde
das mich kleinschlug
als ich Axt war
gehalten
von meinen Händen
die mich brannten
bis ich Kühlung
suchte
in meiner Asche


first published 1964
in 'Warngedichte' ('Warnings')


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humans