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von Anbeginn zu Anbeginn

English translation: from one beginning to another


20:34 Nov 8, 2009Login or register (free) for more options.
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
German term or phrase: von Anbeginn zu Anbeginn
Hallo alle zusammen!

Es geht um ein Gedicht von Rainer Maria Rilke, "So ist mein tagwerk".
"so ists: damit ich größer bin.
Ich höre jeden in mir schreiten
und breite meine Einsamkeiten
**von Anbeginn zu Anbeginn**. "

Das ganze Gedicht auf:

http://www.rainer-maria-rilke.de/05a048tagwerk.html

Wie könnte man dies überhaupt auf Deutsch verstehen?

Danke schonmal für die Überlegungen.
Steffili
Germany
Local time: 20:48
English translation:from one beginning to another
Explanation:
Ich kann mich vorstellen, dass Rilke hier "Anbeginn" schrieb, und nicht "Beginn", um die 4 füße (8 Laute) und den Reim des Verses zu behalten. Es ist zu empfehlen auch Reim in der Ubersetzung so gut wie möglich zu haben, und daher ist es wichtig was für ein Wort man am Ende "so ists: damit ich größer bin" hat. Man könnte den Reim so behalten:
so it is: therefore I am greater
(...)
from one beginning to another

Es gibt aber viele möglichkeiten, und das ganze kann in eine andere Reihenfolge umgeschrieben werden. Man kann und soll sich unbedingt nicht zu Buchstablich an der originalen Reihenfolge und Wörter halten, im Bereich Dichtung.
Selected response from:

Dave122
Sweden
Local time: 20:48
Grading comment
danke für all die mühe und überlegungen!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +8from one beginning to anotherDave122
4 +2from beginning to beginning
konungursvia
3 +1from everlasting to everlasting
EKTranslations
3 +1from the beginning of one day to anotherAudrey Foster
2from anginn to anginn
Nicole Backhaus
Summary of reference entries provided
Online translation
Annett Kottek

Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


55 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +8
from one beginning to another


Explanation:
Ich kann mich vorstellen, dass Rilke hier "Anbeginn" schrieb, und nicht "Beginn", um die 4 füße (8 Laute) und den Reim des Verses zu behalten. Es ist zu empfehlen auch Reim in der Ubersetzung so gut wie möglich zu haben, und daher ist es wichtig was für ein Wort man am Ende "so ists: damit ich größer bin" hat. Man könnte den Reim so behalten:
so it is: therefore I am greater
(...)
from one beginning to another

Es gibt aber viele möglichkeiten, und das ganze kann in eine andere Reihenfolge umgeschrieben werden. Man kann und soll sich unbedingt nicht zu Buchstablich an der originalen Reihenfolge und Wörter halten, im Bereich Dichtung.

Dave122
Sweden
Local time: 20:48
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
danke für all die mühe und überlegungen!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Kim Metzger: Corso e ricorso. http://scotterb.wordpress.com/2008/11/16/corso-e-ricorso/
25 mins
  -> Thanks Kim
agree  babli: agree
6 hrs
  -> Thanks babli
agree  Lena Nusselt
10 hrs
  -> Thanks Lena
agree  Goldcoaster
11 hrs
  -> Thanks Goldcoaster
neutral  Jo Bennett: Especially if a reference to T S Eliot's Burnt Norton? No, just checked - this wasn't published until 1936, after Rilke's death. But even so, their thinking was close.
11 hrs
  -> Good that you checked that up.
agree  sivara
12 hrs
  -> Thanks sivara
agree  Bernhard Sulzer: Agree with what you say except, especially with Rilke, one should probably try not to stray too far from the words he used - which makes it even more difficult to do him justice. PS : Ich kann "mir" vorstellen.
17 hrs
  -> Certainly, but I think that applies to almost any great poet. That is why poetry is the hardest form to translate. To try to put yourself in the poet's mind, figure out what he meant, encapsulate the idea into English while fitting the verse. Thanks.
agree  Ingrid Velleine
17 hrs
  -> Thanks Ingridv
agree  Ingrid Moore
1 day1 hr
  -> Thanks Ingrid
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
from everlasting to everlasting


Explanation:
As discussed before (my entry should have been a 'discussion', not an 'answer'), this is the biblical term used in the psalms, so might be an option if you want to bring out the biblical/judeo/christian references.

EKTranslations
Australia
Local time: 05:48
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  British Diana
8 hrs
neutral  Jo Bennett: Yes - Ps 90.2; sounds more natural in English, but maybe you don't want "natural" for Rilke?
10 hrs
neutral  Annett Kottek: With those words the 'from each new day to each new day' meaning would be lost. ‘Everlasting’ or ‘eternity’ is anyway implicit.
1 day10 hrs
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
from beginning to beginning


Explanation:
that's it i think

konungursvia
Canada
Local time: 14:48
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jo Bennett: Sounds slightly odd in the English, but this may be better for Rilke?? YES - ST GREGORY OF NYSSA! Just remembered. Nyssa's De Vita Moysis (Life of Moses): 'from beginning to beginning through beginnings that never end'.
8 hrs
agree  Michael Sieger: "from _the_ beginning to _the_ beginning" e.g. http://www.angelfire.com/id2/cafe/festgallery.html
9 hrs
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20 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
from the beginning of one day to another


Explanation:
...is how I read the line

Audrey Foster
United States
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Annett Kottek: Yes, the poet speaks about his 'Tagwerk’ - his daily work. But also transcends this meaning: ‘from beginning to beginning’ [each day=a new beginning]—instead of ‘from beginning to end’ [of the day]—gestures towards eternity because there's no ending.
15 hrs
  -> Thank you, Annett
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1 day57 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
from anginn to anginn


Explanation:
since "Anbeginn" is an old German word, not used very often in every-day language, I thought you might like to try an old English word, instead


    Reference: http://www.mun.ca/Ansaxdat/vocab/wordlist.html
Nicole Backhaus
Honduras
Local time: 13:48
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
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Reference comments


1 day12 hrs
Reference: Online translation

Reference information:
There's a translation by Annemarie S. Kidder, which you might like to have a look at. She renders the final line as 'from the beginning to start', but I think losing the repetition has a detrimental effect on the poem. Please scroll down to get to the English version.

http://books.google.com/books?id=I0csNjz0B3QC&pg=PA62&lpg=PA...

Annett Kottek
United Kingdom
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
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