Frederick Philip Grove's
Six German Poems



F
rederick Philip Grove
GERMAN POEMS


Grove's "Die Dünen..." & his own translation "The Dying Year"

e-Edition by Gaby Divay
© August 2007

University of Manitoba Libraries
FPG & FrL Collections
University of Manitoba Archives

How to cite this e-Edition of Grove's German Poems



"Die Dünen fliegen auf..."
von
Frederick Philip Grove

Die Dünen fliegen auf mit wirrem Schopf
Sie wogen branden türmen sich und kippen --
Und jede rennt mit jähem Widderkopf --
Zerschellend an des Waldes schwarzen Klippen.

Da sprengt ein Herold mit gesenktem Stab
Auf falbem Ross durch die gescheuchte Masse
Hingellt sein Horn: Bereitet euch zum Grab!
Mir folgt mein Herr: habt acht vor seinem Hasse!

Seht ihr die Schiffe durch die Lüfte nahn --
Im Westen hoch, sein bauchiges Geschwader?
Schon landet ihn sein Ferge, der Orkan
Ich muss hinweg -- ihr, meidet seinen Hader.

Heraus die Fahnen, gelb und braun und rot!
Und locker hingehängt! Bestreut den Boden!
Verachtet euer einer sein Gebot,
Den wird mitsamt der Wurzel er entroden!

Und Orgelscherzi tönen wild und schrill
Zum Flattern all der Fetzen bunter Fahnen,
Mit denen sich der Herbst behängen will
Auf dem Fanfarenritt zu seinen Ahnen...

German Manuscript, Grove Archives (MP 1, mss)
The Dying Year = Grove's Transl.[1]
by
Frederick Philip Grove
Up flow[2] the yellow sands[3] with tousled poll;
They tremble, flutter, rear, and tumble o'er
And break, as wave on wave along they roll,
Till,[4] black, the woods oppose a[5] cliffy shore.

A herald gallops, with his lowered stave,
On his pale courser through[6] the frightened crowd;
His bugle yells, "Get ready for your grave!
"My master comes; he trails a dismal cloud.[7]

"Hang out the flags: gold, yellow, brown, and red;
"And loosely, mind you; strew a carpet soft![8]
"Him who, too bold, refuses to be led
"He will uproot and throw his limbs aloft.

"You see the ships sail bulging[9] through the air:
"High in the West, his squadron battle-grey:
"The hurricane, his pilot, steers him fair:
"Bow down, bow deep, in fear: I must away."

And organ-scherzi whistle wild and shrill,
While[10] tattered leaves strain rustling to the last
The dying year adopts them as his frill,[11]
As he in triumph rides into[12] the past.

Typescipt, Grove Archives (MP 9a, ts)


[1] MP 9a precedes Arctic Woods (MP 8b) on one page. Slightly different version: MP 9b
[2] Manuscript insertion in the left margin (ignored in MP 9b).
[3] "Up flow the yellow sands..." replaces typed "The yellow dunes fly up...".
[4] Ms. correction to typed "Where" (ignored in MP 9b).
[5] Ms. correction to typed "their" (ignored in MP 9b).
[6] Ms. correction to typed "in" (reflected in MP 9b).
[7] Faint ms. correction in the right margin to typed "shroud" (not in MP 9b).
[8] Ms. "strew a carpet soft!" is written above typed "that the soil be soft!" (change reflected in MP 9b).
[9] Faint ms. "sail bulging" above typed "come sailing" (not in MP 9b).
[10] Written over crossed out, typed "And"; Version MP 9b retains "and".
[11] Very faint ms. line to the right of typed "With which the dying year bedecks him still". As corrections in notes 2-5 & n. 7, 9 and 10, it is ignored in MP 9b.
[12] Ms. change below typed "As stern he rides on to his grave,..." (a change reflected in MP 9b).

How to cite this e-Edition:
Grove, Frederick Philip.GERMAN POEMS. e-Edition, Gaby Divay. Winnipeg: UM Archives & Special Collections, ©2007.
pEd/4groGerm/
Accessed ddmmmyyyy [ex: 20sep2007]

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