Tuesday, June 24, 2014

the child startles at the mirror







[ Untitled ]

The child startles at the mirror
and passes on;
no one could have known
what her image has given her.

But near evening the memory
insists she return for proof,
and a lingering curiosity
stops her before herself.

One doesn't know if this is fear.
But she pauses now, her gaze
searches her own face,
and she breathes -- somehow -- elsewhere.


R. M. Rilke
(my translation)



2 comments:

  1. Rilke:

    L'enfant devant la glace s'étonne
    et passe;
    et personne ne ramasse
    ce que son image lui donne.

    Vers le soir pourtant il arrive
    quand son souvenir s'entête,
    qu'une curiosité tardive
    devant la glace l'arrête.

    On ne sait pas trop s'il a peur.
    Mais il reste, il s'engage,
    et devant sa propre image
    se transporte ailleurs.

    .

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  2. ... stopping in front of the mirror for a split second every day ... thinking ... man, i should clean this thing one of these days ... Love, cat.

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