Translation
As the sky is reflected in the sea,
Lending its sheen, its sparkle of light,
Giving wings to the waves, coloring bright,
So they stir slightly as they flee:
Such is my outer being and life
Lively illustration of the strength you bestow.
In the deep – where the waters spring,
Power rushing, untamed as of yet,
Grim foes lurking beneath the stream –
Silence has sealed what I might have said,
Deep within, where pains stir and bend,
So that in the heart, there is ever torment.
Notes
History has not bestowed fame on Adele Schopenhauer (1797–1849). Neither has it kept the memory of her mother Johanna Schopenhauer alive. This is noteworthy because they were both writers and since their death, they have both been overshadowed by their brother, respectively son: the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. That his work has been deemed of more importance for mankind is hardly surprising but the lives of his sister and mother are well worth looking into for anyone interested in literature, culture, or history.
First things first: There is not much to note here in terms of translation. This poem by Adele Schopenhauer is competent but not necessarily remarkable, as far as virtuosity is concerned. I would argue, however, that there is something uniquely touching in its simplicity and sincerity. To appreciate the hidden truths and meanings of this poem, one has to know something about Adele’s biography, so here are the salient facts:
She was what we would now call a lesbian. She loved women. First she loved Ottilie von Goethe. Then she loved Sibylle Mertens-Schaaffhausen. With the latter, she had a relationship that lasted for many years. It began in 1828 and only ended, despite a break between 1835 and 1842, with Adele’s death in 1849.
These women were moving in the most erudite circles and salons; they were highly educated and had diverse interests – not only did Adele write a variety of stories, she also excelled at the art of paper cutting. Sibylle was a noted archeologist. And yet – they could not speak of their love; not publicly at least. Homosexuality between women was not outlawed as homosexuality between men was but that doesn’t mean that it was socially accepted, let alone understood in the early 19th century. It was lived. And it was shared, privately. To read the poems that Adele wrote to Sybille is not to read ordinary love poetry; it is to read something incredibly intimate, raw, and heartfelt because it could truly not have been announced to the world at large at the time. For further information, I recommend Angela Steidele’s book Geschichte einer Liebe: Adele Schopenhauer und Sibylle Mertens (2010) of which you can find a translated excerpt here and a review in English with many quotations here.
I think it’s important that we look beyond the canon and the classics to uncover literature that was written not for an audience but for someone. Poetry gave voice to the lived experiences of people in the past and we may find that the less it is addressed to us, the more it speaks to us.
We only have to listen.
Image Credits
The header image is taken from John William Godward’s painting In the Days of Sappho, 1904.
The notes image is taken from Caroline Bardua’s painting of Johanna and Adele Schopenhauer, 1806.
german poetry 