Monday, September 30, 2013

orchards in space



The leaves are falling, falling as if from far up,
as if orchards were dying high in space.


Those lines, from Rilke's poem, Autumn,
 kept running through my head this weekend in the Catskills.

I posted it last year too, when I was cleaning out the store
and we still had world's ugliest kitchen.


Four seasons ago. 
It feels like another life.


Autumn

     
The leaves are falling, falling as if from far up,
     
as if orchards were dying high in space.
    
 Each leaf falls as if it were motioning "no".


And tonight the heavy earth is falling,
     
away from all the other stars in the loneliness.

We're all falling. This hand here is falling.
     
And look at the other one ... It's in them all.

     
And yet there is Someone, whose hands
    
 infinitely calm, hold up all this falling.

                               
                        -Rainier Marie Rilke (translated by Robert Bly)

27 comments:

  1. Thanks Jen, I hadnt heard that poem before.It's lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  2. this is such a wonderful poem dear Jen!
    the colours on your pictures look so much alike the colours here.

    all my love oxoxox

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Demie--I hope you post some of your sketches soon!

      Delete
  3. A beautiful poem! Happy week Jen!

    Madelief x

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful poem. 4 seasons, and the world goes round.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jen...such a lovely poem bears repeating. I always loved Autumn in my classroom. Seeing the world changing colors through the eyes of 4 & 5 year olds was always magic! Happy Fall Y'all!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You reminded me of all those fun leaf projects!

      Delete
  6. What a beautiful poem....the last verse gave me the chills.
    And what a beautiful blog you have. It's very peaceful here.

    and yes, 4 seasons ago feels like a lifetime ago. I'm so happy our paths crossed this evening. xo

    Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you for visiting, Sarah.

    ReplyDelete
  8. That's a nice choice. I enjoyed it along with your photos.

    ReplyDelete
  9. A lovely poem. Autumn has arrived here now. Leaves from my olive trees fall softly to the ground.
    Your photos are lovely ..such an array of colour.
    Jen, thank you for your kind wishes ..on the loss of my little lady..much appreciated.
    happy 1st october. val x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your olive trees alway make me think of California. They grew on the hills next to our house.

      I know how hard it is to lose a dog. Such an emptiness.

      Delete
  10. This poem is driving me crazy! I've looked up at least ten translations and Bly's is by far the best, but O! I wish I could read Rilke in German... there's still something not quite right. I'll bet Bly wasn't completely happy with his translation either.
    On another note, your photos leave no frustration!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Translation is such an art. I have 4 translations of collected Rilke--went crazy myself trying to figure out the best translation of one of the Duino Elegies. (I'm pretty sure RIlke is my desert island poet.) In this poem only the third line feels awkward to me, but of course the original is always better.

      Delete
  11. Hello Jen, I can always count on you to show exactly the nature pictures that I want to see at the moment.
    --Jim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jim--what a sweet thing to say! Thank you.

      Delete
  12. Such a wonderful poem and I am soaking in your pictures. beautiful, beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  13. oh, I love Rilke. he has the right words for every situation!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. "Someone, with hands, infinitely calm..." Great poem! Thank you , Jen. Four seasons have passed since you closed your shop... time flies, I suppose you would feel so.

    ReplyDelete
  15. "Someone, with hands, infinitely calm..." Great poem! Thank you , Jen. Four seasons have passed since you closed your shop... time flies, I suppose you would feel so.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh how I love your pictures and how I love this poem of Rainer Maria Rilke! IThe words incorporate autumn to me! Really, really beautiful! Christa

    ReplyDelete