I always wanted to learn to speak German; I had the opportunity at school when I was going into the second year and could choose between German, Spanish, Latin or Domestic Science. I asked for German, had Spanish as second and said I definitely did not want to do Domestic Science under any circumstances. I was told to do Latin because my spelling was poor – in actual fact my spelling wasn’t poor, and although I appealed I still ended up doing Latin which I was spectacularly useless at. I’ve tried on various occasions since then to learn German with teach yourself books etc, but really I just can’t. Recently, I found this beautiful poem, with a handy translation:
Mondnacht (Night Of The Moon)
Es war, als hätt’ der Himmel
Die Erde still geküsst
Dass sie im Blütenschimmer
Von ihm nun träumen müsst
Die Luft ging durch die Felder
Die Ähren wogten sacht
Es rauschten leis die Wälder
So sternklar war die Nacht
Und meine Seele spannte
Weit ihre Flügel aus
Flog durch die stillen Lande
Als flöge sie nach Haus
by Joseph Freiherr Von Eichendorff
It was as though the sky
had silently kissed the eart
so that it now had to dream of sky
in shimmers of flowers.
The air went through the fields,
the corn-ears leaned heavy down
the woods swished softly—
so clear with stars was the night
And my soul stretched
its wings out wide,
flew through the silent lands
as though it were flying home.
