The Poetry Exchange 31. Dich / You by Erich Fried - A Friend To Katharine
In this episode, Katharine talks about the poem that has been a friend to her – ‘Dich’ / ‘You’ by Erich Fried.
We are delighted to feature ‘Dich’ / ‘You’ in this episode and would like to thank Verlag Klaus Wagenbach for allowing us to use it in this way.
Katharine visited The Poetry Exchange at St Chad's College Chapel in Durham, during Durham Book Festival, in association with Durham University Foundation Programme. We’re very grateful to all our Durham partners for hosting us so warmly.
Katharine is in conversation with The Poetry Exchange team members, Michael Shaeffer and Andrea Witzke-Slot.
‘Dich’ / ‘You' is read by Michael Shaeffer.
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Dich
By Eric Fried
Dich
dich sein lassen
ganz dich
Sehen, daß du nur du bist
wenn du alles bist
was du bist
das Zarte
und das Wilde
das was sich anschmiegen
und das was sich loßreißen will
Wer nur die Hälfte liebt
der liebt dich nicht halb
sondern gar nicht
der will dich zurechtschneiden
amputieren
verstümmeln
Dich dich sein lassen
ob das schwer oder leicht ist?
Es kommt nicht darauf an mit wieviel
Vorbedacht und Verstand
sondern mit wieviel Liebe und mit wieviel
offener Sehnsucht nach allem –
nach allem
was du ist
Nach der Wärme
und nach der Kälte
nach der Güte
und nach dem Starrsinn
nach deinem Willen
und Unwillen
nach jeder deiner Gebärden
nach deiner Ungebärdigkeit
Unstetigkeit
Stetigkeit
Dann
ist dieses
dich dich sein lassen
vielleicht
gar nicht so schwer
‘Dich’ by Erich Fried from 'Es ist was es ist’ © 1983 Verlag Klaus Wagenbach, Berlin
*********
Below is a translation of the poem, published in ‘Love Poems’ by Erich Fried, trans. Stuart Hood, available from Alma Classics.
You
By Erich Fried
You
to let you be you
all you
To see
that you are only you
when you’re everything
that you are
the tender one
and the wild one
that wants to break free
and wants to come close
Whoever loves the half
loves you not by half
but not at all
wants to cut you to size
to amputate
to maim you
To let you be you
is it hard or easy?
It’s not a matter of how much
forethought and understanding
but of how much love and how much
open longing for everything –
for all
that is you
For the warmth
and the coldness
for the goodness
and obstinacy
for your wilfulness
and unwillingness
for each of your gestures
for your awkwardness
inconstancy
constancy
Then this
letting you be you
maybe isn’t so difficult
after all
Fried, Erich. Love Poems (Alma Classics)
The extract about translation quoted by Fiona on the Intro to this episode is from Kiki Dimoula’s book The Brazen Plagiarist, selected poems translated by Cecile Inglessis Margellos and Rika Lesser published by Yale University Press.
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