Erdbeer-Pfluecken

[shemthepenman]

Erdbeer-Pfluecken


Wenn die Zeit zum Erdbeer-Pfluecken da ist 
dann wandere ich ueber Berge von zerbrochenen Koerpern 
manchmal; ueber die teergluehende Strasse 
und sammle in kleinen Gruppen saure Pilze - 
kaempfe den Winter mit einem Laecheln zurueck; 
zurueck aus einem weinenden Gesicht: 
-Gott steh’ mir bei! Es tut mir leid.

[Mopkins]

Strawberry Picking


When the time to pick strawberries is there
then I wander over mountains of broken bodies
sometimes; over the tarry road
and collect sour mushrooms in small groups -
fight back the winter with a smile;
back from a crying face:
-God be with me! I'm so sorry.

you should try plucking cherries
you'll wander mountains years searching
collecting sweet young virgins
who haven't started screwing
fight back the knock backs with a grin
there's no use in debating
and least there's no one refusing your
incessant masturbating

[shemthepenman]

it’s odd to read these through the filter of google translate. i think i like them that way.

however, this is how i would translate it:

At the time when the strawberries are ready for picking,
sometimes over the streets of sticky tarmac
I wander among the mounds of broken bodies,
collecting in little groups
of raw sour mushroom;
fighting back the winter with a smile
climbing up the face a-crying:
—So help me god! I’m sorry!

[Mopkins]

hmmm much better without an ai robot cyborg translating it....

---

https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/green-mountain/

heres mrs stephen hawking reciting taoist tunes

[PondWater]

Was stoked to see some German here on my first day joined. Its always fun to see how far those visits to the grandparents can still go. So many variations in everything, wild how the fluid effects of translator can change a document.

My favorite line "und sammle in kleinen Gruppen saure Pilze"  and how I think it... and gather in small groups sour mushrooms. Very direct, i guess google beats me

[shemthepenman]

Was stoked to see some German here on my first day joined. Its always fun to see how far those visits to the grandparents can still go. So many variations in everything, wild how the fluid effects of translator can change a document.

My favorite line "und sammle in kleinen Gruppen saure Pilze"  and how I think it... and gather in small groups sour mushrooms. Very direct, i guess google beats me

thanks. i'm happy you enjoyed it. also, "and gathering in small... etc." is a far superior, more accurate, translation. however, i wanted to express a slight stylistic difference between the german and english versions.

[vagabond]

Erdbeer-Pfluecken


Wenn die Zeit zum Erdbeer-Pfluecken da ist 
dann wandere ich ueber Berge von zerbrochenen Koerpern 
manchmal; ueber die teergluehende Strasse 
und sammle in kleinen Gruppen saure Pilze - 
kaempfe den Winter mit einem Laecheln zurueck; 
zurueck aus einem weinenden Gesicht: 
-Gott steh’ mir bei! Es tut mir leid.

 thank you for posting this (and i guess it makes no difference which forum you post it in though it´s bizarre to put it in fun)

to me this speaks of the time after world war II. getting ready to pick strawberries but finding only bitter mushrooms. (it´s your poem but i keep wanting to read bitter instead of sour).

i think your english version is clearer in connecting the broken bodies and the mushrooms.
(the german version has the "teerglühende straße" in between the broken bodies and the mushrooms, which prevented me from understanding it first.. but, come to think of it that fact makes a striking metaphor about a german reader)

 the broken bodies buried.. what a painful disturbing image to make little groups of mushrooms from them. and in a cruel, cold way it´s plain and true.  future builds on past.