Poetry in Translation: "Urlicht"

Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Youth's Magic Horn) is a collection of German-language folk poetry compiled by authors Achim von Arnim and Clemens Brentano and published in the early 19th century. The term "Wunderhorn" evokes the image of a cornucopia and the collection is indeed abundant with a wealth of imagery and lyricism. The poems feature folkloric and religious themes and balance a lyrical simplicity with depth of feeling.

One of my favorite poems is "Urlicht," the original light. "Ur-" is a Germanic prefix suggesting "original" or "primal" or something so ancient it predates recorded history and even human history. In this poem, the "ur" relates to the question of our origins, as mortal beings that came from a divine place to earth and still retain some divine essence.

The speaker of the poem relates his vision of heaven to us with that Sehnsucht (longing) particular to German poetry:

O Röschen rot,
Der Mensch liegt in größter Not,
Der Mensch liegt in größter Pein,
Je lieber möcht' ich im Himmel sein.
Da kam ich auf einem breiten Weg,
Da kam ein Engelein und wollt' mich abweisen.
Ach nein, ich ließ mich nicht abweisen!
Ich bin von Gott und will wieder zu Gott,
Der liebe Gott wird mir ein Lichtchen geben,
Wird leuchten mir bis [in] das ewig selig' Leben!

O Little Rose red,
We live in the greatest need,
We live in the greatest pain,
How I wish to be in Heaven.
For there, I came upon a wide path,
There, arrived a small angel who bade me to leave.
But no, I would not let myself be turned away!
I come from God and I will return to God,
Merciful God will give me a little light,
A light that will guide me into the eternal life!

The rose's symbolism of love and the brief bloom of life dates back to Classical mythology and then incorporated in medieval Christian iconography to symbolize heaven, the eternity behind mortality, and a greater love beyond earthly desires. Thus the poet's faith is strong; he is convinced of his experience, of our spiritual origin, and that no matter what, there will always be something to light our way through the darkness of confusion.

At the 19th century's end, composer Gustav Mahler incorporated several poems from the Wunderhorn into his music. "Urlicht" is featured in the fourth movement of his Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection," a theme which fits the poem well.