Die Geister die ich rief, werde ich nicht mehr los

English translation: Now, I cannot rid myself of the spirits I conjured up

17:22 Aug 4, 2004

German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature

German term or phrase: Die Geister die ich rief, werde ich nicht mehr los

Does anyone know an equivalent expression in English? The text I am translating plays on this quote from Goethe's Zauberlehrling.
Any suggestions welcome, how best to translate the following text about bin Laden.

Die Geister aber, die die USA stets riefen, wenn es »amerikanische Interessen« zu wahren galt, haben jetzt auf grausame Art zurückgeschlagen.

Simona de Logu KudoZ activity Questions: 114 (none open) (1 without valid answers) (5 closed without grading) Answers: 564 United Kingdom
Local time: 23:24

English translation:Now, I cannot rid myself of the spirits I conjured up

Explanation:
would be a pretty fair Wiedergabe of the original, I think, and for the second part, perhaps:

But the spirits the USA have always been wont to conjure up when it was a case of "defending American interests" have now hit back in a particularly gruesome manner.

Selected response from:

David Moore (X)
Local time: 00:24

Grading comment

Thank you very much. This reads very nicely.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +2

Now, I cannot rid myself of the spirits I conjured up

David Moore (X)

The genies that the US always called upon...

Nancy Arrowsmith

The spirits, however, whom the US used to call

NGK

Discussion entries: 1

Answers

24 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

Now, I cannot rid myself of the spirits I conjured up

David Moore (X)
Local time: 00:24
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 24

Grading comment

Thank you very much. This reads very nicely.

1 hr confidence:

The genies that the US always called upon...

Explanation:
refuse to obey, and will not go back into the latern.

You can either work with the sorcerer's apprentice, as in the German, or you can use an image that has more to do with "spirits", such as this.

Nancy Arrowsmith
Local time: 16:24
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 19

1 hr confidence:

Die Geister aber, die die USA stets riefen The spirits, however, whom the US used to call

Explanation:
The spirits, however, whom the US used to call whenever "American interests" were at stake, have come back to haunt the country savagely.

http://german.about.com/library/blgzauberl.htm
http://www.fln.vcu.edu/goethe/zauber_dual.html
http://www.proz.com/?sp=h&id=760531

NGK
United States
Local time: 17:24
Native speaker of:

English,

German
PRO pts in category: 48

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Die Geister die ich rief, werde ich nicht mehr los

English translation: Now, I cannot rid myself of the spirits I conjured up

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Die Geister die ich rief, werde ich nicht mehr los

English translation: Now, I cannot rid myself of the spirits I conjured up

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