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Best Poems From
ERHARD HANS JOSEF LANG
(January 8,1957)
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5.
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One-liner: The Mind Is One Network
How could one imagine what it
sounded like when starting to
learn a foreign language,
merely from the books, and had
never been to the place
where they speak that tongue,
nor had heard it spoken
at any time otherwise?
Might one still know, just by
way of approximating imaginations,
how it sounded like?
'But it's only so in your imagination! '
the voices of your close-by,
echoes of mind, come reverberating
back to your ears
from the ignorant world.
By any means,
could it be true
what they'll be telling you,
that you're imagining things - only -
and this would have nothing to do with
reality? !
I, for one, can't believe anyone
to have a right to say he or she
be a sole owner of mind,
though I do hold there's some secret about mind.
Does any scientist know what it is?
- Are we then well-advised, therefore, better not
to be telling anyone about the greater things,
in for being cooked in mind,
but not yet full done? ? -
I, for one, want to express
that I strongly feel that
we - all of us -
as we stand and fall -
are all connected up together,
connected by one and the same mind,
and I strongly feel,
that one may well listen in,
listen in to this one mind
- way through the distances,
and even way through time
and the times.
So, why wouldn't we be able to
innerly hear, factually true,
another's speak,
be it even that the speaker were
on another stellar galaxy's
enlivened global planetary? !
How much more so with innerly
hearing your next-door woman,
or the unknown soulmate
out in the open
wide streets of life?
And even all the dead got
all their seed minds, I feel,
left there behind,
out in the far lanes of
vast stellar memory planes
of landscapes and plains
in the cosmic mind,
all units being more or less safely
stored away there,
for the future accesses,
by their living partners, or
of those yet to live,
in mind.
If only we the living
were more acknowledgable
of the unique oneness
impressed on our
own most precious one mind,
beyond all the minded
objects of realized materializations -
in mind.
This is a one-liner: the mind is one network.
Erhard Hans Josef Lang
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6.
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The Country Of Finland (translation with original)
The country of Finland:
When I'm running in the countrysides of the country of Finland,
I live my days all anew!
The heart feels, understands and realizes,
memories of youth lurking somewhere.
Thus comes this day to a closing,
again one's feeling so happy,
the songs are sung, the games played,
all things feel calm, there's peace unbreaking.
This much sustaining is the country of Finland,
That when I'm looking across the surface of a pond
I see everything in its water,
also things of tomorrow.
I am a reference to the surface of the pond,
to the odours of the flowers of solstice,
from the air I draw Finland into my nostrils.
Someone might have found a bride?
Sneaked away at the heart of night, for collecting,
flowers so that she'd wake up -
into a dream which makes a bride come near.
May even happen, whatever shouldn't happen,
it couldn't get me away from here.
The country of Finland I shall never forget,
I shall not let it slip out of my mind.
Yet I won't leave
and be a companion to the star of the country of Finland.
Full of eagerness I'm jumping hereabouts,
on the soil of my home -
of the country of Finland!
Whose vales, hillocks, beaches and waters,
thither I shall be led to go, whereever you're going.
Though it had been cold to attend school,
my throat parched, even that I loved.
For friends I had there,
so I went to school with a cheerful mien.
by Jukka Aittakumpu
translated by Erhard Hans Josef Lang
[this poem was selected to be Finland's most Finnish poem by the jury of the poetry contest Kirjakantti 2008]
in its original Finnish:
SUOMENMAA: JUOSTESSA MÄ MAILLA SUOMENMAAN
(vuoden 2008 Suomen suomalaisin runo -kilpailun voittanut Jukka Aittakummun kirjoittama uusi runo)
Juostessa mailla mä Suomenmaan,
aivan elän päiväni uudestaan!
Sydän tuntee, tietää ja tajuaa,
muistot nuoruuden jostain vainuaa.
Näin päättyvi päivä tää tälleen,
olo on niin onnekas jälleen.
Laulut laulettu, leikit leikitty on,
olo vain on tyyni, rauha rikkumaton.
Niin kantava on maa Suomen,
kun katselen pintaa mä lammen:
Näen vedestä kaiken, myös huomisen.
Kosketan pintaa mä lammen.
Tuoksuja juhannuskukkien,
ilmasta nuuhkin mä Suomen.
Liekö morsiamen joku saanut?
Yösydännä hiipinyt keräämään,
kukkia, et' saisi herätä -
uneen mi immen tuo luokseen.
Tapahtuu mitä sitten tapahtuukaan,
mut pois se ei vie mua täältä.
Suomenmaata en unhoita,
en pois sitä mielestä päästä.
Tahdo en vielä mä lähteä,
seurallen Suomenmaan tähteä.
Hyppelen täällä mä innoissaan,
mailla mun kotini - Suomenmaan!
Sen laaksot, kukkulat, rannat ja veet,
minut vieköön sinne, minne sä meet.
Vaikka kylmä oli kouluhun käydäkin,
kurkku kuivana, rakastin sitäkin.
Ystäviä kun mun oli siellä,
koulua kävinhän riemumiellä.
JUKKA AITTAKUMPU
in German:
DAS LAND FINNLAND: WENN ICH AUF DES LANDS FINNLAND SCHOLLEN RENNE
Wenn ich auf des Lands Finnland Schollen renne,
durchlebe ich meine Tage ganz aufs neue!
Das Herz fühlt, versteht und nimmt wahr,
Erinnerungen aus irgendwoher in der Jugend verfolgen einen.
So kommt denn dieser Tag darüber zu seinem Schluß,
Wiederum fühlt man sich richtig glücklich,
die Lieder sind gesungen, die Spiele gespielt,
das Wesentliche ist geglättet, es herrscht unverbrüchlicher Friede.
Derart tragkräftig ist das Land Finnland, daß
wenn ich auf die Oberfläche eines Teichs hinausblicke,
ich im Wasser alles sehe, auch das Morgige.
Ich stehe in einem Bezug zur Oberfläche des Teichs,
zu den Düften der Sonnwendblumen,
aus den Lüften schnuppere ich mir das Finnland ein.
Mag wohl jemand eine Braut gekriegt haben?
Im Herzen der Nacht sich davongeschlichen, um etwas zu sammeln,
Blumen, damit diese aufwachte -
in einen Traum, der einem eine Jungfer beschafft.
Passierte auch immer, was nicht auch passieren mag, aber weg kriegte es mich nicht von hier.
Das Land Finnland werde ich nicht vergessen.
Ich lasse es nicht aus meinen Gedanken heraus.
Ich möchte mich noch nicht auf den Weg machen,
Und dem Stern des Lands Finnland Gesellschaft leisten.
Ich springe hier voller Eifer umher,
auf den Schollen meiner Heimat -
des Lands Finnland!
Dessen Täler, Hügel, Gestade und Gewässer,
dorthin führe es mich, wohin du gehst.
Wenn es auch kalt war, auf die Schule zu gehen,
die Kehle trocken, so liebte ich auch das.
Zumal ich doch Freunde dort hatte,
durchlief ich die Schule mit freudiger Mien'.
JUKKA AITTAKUMPU
Erhard Hans Josef Lang
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7.
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The Giant's Plaything (transl. and its original in German)
Castle Nideck of Alsace is well-known in legends,
the very heights, where, times ago, a castle stood of the giants,
it lies now in ruins,
the old homestead deserted, empty;
ask anyone about the race of the giants,
you shall find them no more.
Once upon a time a virgin maiden of the giants
came out of the castle,
enjoying herself, she was playing,
with no one to guard her outside the gates,
and she climbed down a slope right into the valley,
curious to explore into how things might have been down there.
Quick in a few steps
she has crossed through the woods near Haslach;
soon she has reached the habitat of men,
and the towns and villages and tilled acres there
appear to her eyes, indeed,
a very strange world.
As she glances down to her feet,
she now notices a farmer tilling his field;
to her, someone creeping to and fro,
a little creature, so very gay,
a plough glistening there in the sunlight as blank and clear.
'Oh! what a wonderful plaything! ' she exclaims,
'this I shall take with me home! '
Kneeling down, swiftly she spreads her handkerchief out,
and sweeps by her hands
everything there in motion,
up into a heap and onto her piece of cloth,
and, folding it,
with joyous leaps off she's rushing,
just the way we know that kids are,
she's hurrying back to her castle, looking fast for her father:
'Oh father, dear father, a plaything so wonderful!
As endearing as this,
I've never seen any thing up on our hills.'
The old man sat at his table drinking his freshly got wine;
the pleasure of his eyes,
he asked his little daughter:
'What squirmish things are these,
That you are carrying with you there,
inside your cloth?
You are full with joy
gamboling and prancing;
let me see, what you've got.'
And she's spreading out her small handkerchief
carefully taking to
putting up in one row,
the farmer, the plough and all the array;
everything set up tidy and neat on top of the table,
she starts clapping her hands
jumping and jubilating aloud.
But the old man turns a serious face to her,
as he is wiggling his head, and speaks:
'What have you done there?
This is not a thing to play with.
Whence you have come to have taken it,
there you shall go and return it to;
a farmer is not a toy for playing with,
what had come over your mind?
Do fast as I bid you,
without any grumbling;
if not for the farmer,
you'd have no bread;
our tribe of giants is
sprouting on the farmers' saplings,
a farmer is not a toy for playing with,
God beware you.'
Castle Nideck in Alsace is well-known in legends,
the very heights, where, times ago, a castle stood of the giants,
it lies now in ruins,
the old homestead deserted, empty;
ask anyone about the race of the giants,
you shall find them no more.
written in the year 1836 by Albert von Chamisso
(1781 - 1838 / Germany)
DAS RIESENSPIELZEUG
Burg Nideck ist im Elsaß der Sage wohlbekannt,
die Höhe, wo vorzeiten die Burg der Riesen stand;
sie selbst ist nun verfallen, die Stätte wüst und leer,
du fragest nach den Riesen, du findest sie nicht mehr.
Einst kam das Riesenfräulein aus jener Burg hervor,
erging sich sonder Wartung und spielend vor dem Tor
und stieg hinab den Abhang bis in das Tal hinein,
neugierig zu erkunden,
wie's unten möchte sein.
Mit wen'gen raschen Schritten durchkreuzte sie den Wald,
erreichte gegen Haslach das Land der Menschen bald,
und Städte dort und Dörfer und das bestellte Feld
erschienen ihren Augen gar eine fremde Welt.
Wie jetzt zu ihren Füßen sie spähend niederschaut,
bemerkt sie einen Bauer, der seinen Acker baut;
es kriecht das kleine Wesen einher so sonderbar,
es glitzert in der Sonne der Pflug so blank und klar.
'Ei! artig Spielding! ' ruft sie, 'das nehm' ich mit nach Haus! '
Sie knieet nieder, spreitet behend ihr Tüchlein aus
und feget mit den Händen, was sich da alles regt,
zu Haufen in das Tüchlein, das sie zusammenschlägt,
und eilt mit freud'gen Sprüngen, man weiß, wie Kinder sind,
zur Burg hinan und suchet den Vater auf geschwind:
'Ei Vater, lieber Vater, ein Spielding wunderschön!
So Allerliebstes sah ich noch nie auf unsern Höh'n.'
Der Alte saß am Tische und trank den kühlen Wein,
er schaut sie an behaglich, er fragt das Töchterlein:
'Was Zappeliges bringst du in deinem Tuch herbei?
Du hüpfest ja vor Freuden; laß sehen, was es sei.'
Sie spreitet aus das Tüchlein und fängt behutsam an,
den Bauer aufzustellen, den Pflug und das Gespann;
wie alles auf dem Tische so zierlich aufgebaut,
so klatscht sie in die Hände und springt und jubelt laut.
Der Alte wird gar ernsthaft und wiegt sein Haupt und spricht:
'Was hast du angerichtet?
Das ist kein Spielzeug nicht!
Wo du es hergenommen, da trag es wieder hin,
der Bauer ist kein Spielzeug,
was kommt dir in den Sinn?
Sollst gleich und ohne Murren erfüllen mein Gebot;
denn wäre nicht der Bauer, so hättest du kein Brot;
es sprießt der Stamm der Riesen aus Bauernmark hervor,
der Bauer ist kein Spielzeug,
da sei uns Gott davor.'
Burg Nideck ist im Elsaß der Sage wohlbekannt,
die Höhe, wo vorzeiten die Burg der Riesen stand;
sie selbst ist nun verfallen, die Stätte wüst und leer,
du fragest nach den Riesen, du findest sie nicht mehr.
* * *
Erhard Hans Josef Lang
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8.
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Against All Odds - Meetings With An Indian Railway God
This is a true story that occurred in my life,
Which goes to show
What a limitless power it is -
The urge of Mind's sway.
I am a German boy of an
Old hoof-smiths' gender,
The first in line to fall out of my forefathers' mould
Due to the innovations of modern day surpassing
Our handling of the beasts of burden of yore.
And as major push towards a life of wanderings and explorations,
That, in the end, led me to encounter
This story of which I am telling here,
May be counted the fact that a certain
Hereditary restlessness was in my veins,
Possibly already stemming
From a very outgoing nature in my good mother's parental home
Where traditionally the village folk, young and old,
Used to gather for common parlour -
A hub knob of a whole tiny big world in itself -
Instilling in me a thirst to go out
Into the world to explore for myself
The hidden truths behind the phenomenal and ephemeral.
And I landed, eventually, in Southern India,
In the city of Madurai,
Dressed myself up like as any good local boy does,
In gallantly draped white cloth.
Coming in by train. I
Met at the Madurai station,
While idly loitering around after arrival,
Their local railway station master -
One imposing, smart-looking figure.
We were dressed both the same style, he and I,
And he might have liked my going after
His country's fashion, thus sifting me out.
He took me upstairs to the station's cafeteria,
And it was there and then that I realized
How stupendously wise
Great people of India are.
This station master was such a cosy pychnic -
Garrulously talking it away
In lovely tones telling me and my travel companion,
Who had an amuleted dog with him,
Wise, well-focused words in a stream of various contexts -,
And most amazingly:
He knew everything even about dogs,
Since my companion had brought one cute dog
All the way from far Varanasi.
Yes, he knew all about
What's common and what's different with various pets,
With their behaviour, their likes and dislikes,
And everything about them.
But not only that - he left me with
The feeling that this was a man
Who could tell you about anything -
Any other topic - you name it! - as expediently -
Things one wouldn't have come to think of, otherwise.
From the cafeteria Madurai's station master then walked to downtown
Together with us two tourists
Finally to bid farewell at the junction to his home.
In those days I then had commenced to
Study to read the Tamil alphabet.
Thus it had come about that some Tamil man told me
That Madurai station master
Was commonly known in town as
The Railway God of Madurai.
I was, at that time, at the tender age of twenty.
For the next ten years to come
I had not taken to travelling at all
Spending time in my German home.
But I had never forgotten, whenever
I recalled my trips to India,
About one impressive Tamil man - and his eloquent wisdom:
This man was the one they called the Railway God of Madurai.
And many many times it was that
I told stories to friends
About my endearing encounter with this one impressive Indian figure.
Another ten years into time I moved out from Germany
And I settled down in a town
On the southern island of Mindanao
In the Philippines.
And again, I came to tell many of my new friends there
The story of my one-time meeting in Madurai
With one whom they called their Railway God.
Another eight years later,
I came to visit the town of Madurai
Once again, and I went to look for the old station master.
I stepped inside the office room, where,
At the Madurai station it read 'station master',
But the old man I was looking for,
Was not there, instead four flabberghasted young men
Asking me what I was up to there.
They wouldn't give me any clues, and seemed to be engaged
In a power dispute among each other at the time.
So I just left it all at that.
Another two years later in time, travelling once more,
Again I happened to be
For a few days' stay in that same city of Madurai.
I had made, in the meantime, some acquaintances
With local boys there, all very friendly to me.
During that one stay then,
Suddenly I was invited by the boys
To join a Hindu funeral party.
'If I would like to come - and see
How we Hindus deal with death? '
So I went with them, and
Already on the way to the house of the deceased person,
I somehow felt a premonition in my chest.
I asked my friendly guides -
Really but knowing yet nothing, just giving it a try -
If the dead person were the old
Railway station master of their town.
And lo! to my very surprise,
This is what they confirmed:
'Yes, station master! the station master has died, '
So they replied,
'And his sons want you to be there for their father's funeral.'
And there I was, face to face, with my
'Most Remembered Indian of All Times', once more,
As he was seated,
Having passed on to a higher world
After one dignified full life-time,
In his grandfather chair there, with his horned glasses on,
Looking toward the main door
As if he were still alive.
There were dozens of mourners,
Women, men, and children, lining up on all sides,
In and around the departured one's house,
And they were, as it seemed,
All waiting for me, -
To anoint the forehead of
The Railway God of my memories.
This is a true story that occurred in my life,
Which goes to show
What a limitless power it is -
The urge of Mind's sway.
My mother's maiden name was Sedlmeir.
Sedl in Tamil means a fair ground's carousel.
Ayyar denotes any Tamil family of good standing.
In my mother's German parental village home
May well have stood in the old days
Such a Sedl carousel.
We are all still linked up together
Through the cultural links created
By our ancient fathers,
Which at times bring us together, quite mysteriously,
In present days,
As I've enjoyed to experience in this outstanding story.
Erhard Hans Josef Lang
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