This is a poem from Hermann Hesse, a German poet and writer, entitled “Steps”. It is one of my favourite poems, and I do give a copy to most of the people I meet and consider my friends. Enjoy:
As every blossom fades
and all youth sinks into old age,
so every life’s design, each flower of wisdom,
attains its prime and cannot last forever.
The heart must submit itself courageously
to life’s call without a hint of grief,
A magic dwells in each beginning,
protecting us, telling us how to live.
High purposed we shall traverse realm on realm,
cleaving to none as to a home,
the world of spirit wishes not to fetter us
but raise us higher, step by step.
Scarce in some safe accustomed sphere of life
have we establish a house, then we grow lax;
only he who is ready to journey forth
can throw old habits off.
Maybe death’s hour too will send us out new-born
towards undreamed-lands,
maybe life’s call to us will never find an end
Courage my heart, take leave and fare thee well.
Achievement in Mind 
im sorry to say so but i think much of its beauty is lost in translation
like this one better:
Hermann Hesse:
Steps
Like ev’ry flower wilts, like youth is fading
and turns to age, so also one’s achieving:
Each virtue and each wisdom needs parading
in one’s own time, and must not last forever.
The heart must be, at each new call for leaving,
prepared to part and start without the tragic,
without the grief – with courage to endeavor
a novel bond, a disparate connection:
for each beginning bears a special magic
that nurtures living and bestows protection.
We’ll walk from space to space in glad progression
and should not cling to one as homestead for us.
The cosmic spirit will not bind nor bore us;
it lifts and widens us in ev’ry session:
for hardly set in one of life’s expanses
we make it home, and apathy commences.
But only he, who travels and takes chances,
can break the habits’ paralyzing stances.
It even may be that the last of hours
will make us once again a youthful lover:
The call of life to us forever flowers…
Anon, my heart! Do part and do recover!
This translation is a masterpiece! Who did it?
Ezra Pound said – who translated some Chinese poems – a poem cannot be translated without it being re-created.
After received your compliment about a previous effort, I’ve tried again to simplify but still match Hesse’s sounds and rhymes. I hope you like it!
S T A G E S
Alan Collins. June 6th, 2018.
As every flower fades, and youth
Always turns grey, so also one’s achievements;
Each virtue or wisdom must offer yet more proof,
At every step, while passing through bereavements.
At each new call, the heart must be prepared to part
At once, and to begin another way of being,
With courage to create, from some sad trauma,
Another novel bond, not blind but seeing.
For each beginning bears a special formula
Which nurtures all that breathes, by its aroma.
We walk, from here to there, in glad progression
And cannot cling to any place as home.
The spirit of the world can never bore or bind us,
But tries to lift us over every session.
If set and fixed, in one of its expansions,
We stay at home, then apathy commences;
For only he who travels, takes one’s chances,
Can break those old hypnotic habits’ lances.
It may be true that in our fading hours
Will come, anew, another youthful lover:
The call of life to us forever flowers…
And so, my heart: Go forwards and recover!
I wrote it. My name is Alan Collins. I live in Totnes, South Devon, England.
Do you know who translated that one?
I wrote them both and prefer my final re-creation of STUFEN by Herman Hesse (above). I am an unpublished poet, aged 78 (2022) although my spiritual teacher (guru) has asked me to publish all my poetry, written since I was 21 years old in 1965. I have collected them in a a few unpublished but copyrighted editions under the main title: SCULPTURES IN SOUND but I’ve never approached a publisher or shown them all to anybody. My heart was broken when I met a young upper class girl of 16 in 1960 who was persuaded to end our 4 year engagement to be married in 1965 due her being an upper middle class girl with a snobbish mother and me being a working class genius with a histrionic working class mother, who both destroyed our love affair. That’s why this poem appealed to me. Amen!
Where can y find this fine words in spanish?
Otto Zimmernann
..well, i had a go myself:
(let me know, what you think of it, if you like..)
steps
As every blossom is doomed to decay, and youth
gives way to the old age, every stage of life,
every wisdom, every virtue has its prime
in due course and must not last forever.
at each call of life the heart needs to be
prepared to take farewell and to restart,
with fortitude and without grief,
daring new and different bonds.
And magic dwells in each beginning
to shelter us, to help us to live on.
We shall move from room through room all cheerfully
and cling to none as to a home.
This world’s spirit has no wish to chain or to constrain –
but to raise us higher, step by step, all widening.
scarce are we endemic to a sphere of life,
accustomed to convenience, we slacken.
Only he who is ready and aiming for departure and travels
will free himself, unravel habituation, laming.
the hour of death might even
sent us emergent to new spheres.
life’s call on us will never cease…
now then, oh heart, take leave and heal.
Very well done. This is my alltime favorite poem in German.
I have to agree that the translations are somewhat lacking.
Yours and the one I read before are very very good.
Thank you for the translation.
Magdalena
Hi Magdalena (o what a beautiful name …!)
I have been trying to write a reply to you for a few months, hopefully this time it’ll work …!
Thank you for your comment.
Yes, it is such a wonderful poem, isn’t it … So much truth, and beauty.
Uda
I hope you like my translation Magda!?
That’s a pretty amazing translation….not sure the English syntax works all that well, but it truly reflects the meaning the poem!
Hi Eric,
thank you for your comment.
It was a choice for me between syntax-and-rhythm, and getting the feeling across. I’ve found other translations on the Net that have one or the other … never both. You’re welcome to put your mind to it and make your own attempt, I’d be very interested to hear!
Uda
many thanks to all of you from an Aussie traveller; always fascinating to see how translations differ. A moving poem in any language.
As every flower wilts, and all youth gives way to old age,
Each step on the journey of life blooms.
Each insight, too, and every truth believed in
Flowers in its own time
And may not last for ever.
At every call of life, the heart must be ready to depart
And to start anew.
To be courageous, not full of sorrow,
And then to make new bonds, and new connections.
And in each new beginning dwells a magic, an enchantment,
That protects us
And helps us
To live.
It is essential that we walk and move from one stage of our lives to the next
With joy!
Not to try to grasp and keep hold of a particular one
As we might onto a childhood toy or memory.
The spirit of the world and that of life does not intend to strangle or subdue us.
We are being willed to grow, to broaden, and to live,
Step … by step.
As soon as we become too familiar and comfortable with one particular stage or room,
The energy from it begins to fail.
Only those who are prepared to break camp
And venture forth
Can free themselves from that sapping of energy.
Even when we are at death’s hour,
We may be sent to yet another realm,
New stage,
New step on our way:
Our hearts full of the spirit of adventure,
Youthful again.
Life’s calling to us will never end.
Fare thee well, then, my heart,
Bid your goodbyes;
And life be with you.
I personally like fades, as opposed to wilts. I like the idea that there is something left in the original blossom, but wilt to me means lost forever. Fade gives the feeling there is a decision to be made. Not forced, but a decision to move forward again, instead of trying to forever live in the past.
Of course, it cannot, and that is why, as we move through our lives, we need to have the courage to move forward.
I think this is much tougher for women, at least here in the US, who constantly seek to rejuvenate their original beauty, through plastic surgery and such. I realize that Hermann Hesse probably doesn’t consider such things, but to me it is the same.
Also, I do find cleaving to none as unto a home so terribly sad. That’s my life, for sure. Sometimes I feel I’m a traveler, and find people who have found a place, with a bright fire burning, and dancing, in the middle of a night, but it is simply not possible to stay long.
It reminds me of the forward to “Magister Ludi, The Bead Game,” in which Mann states: “I too would like to play pool, and talk loosely to loos women.”
I too have given this poem to perhaps two or three people in my life. Though, I don’t speak German (or very little), and have no capabilities with poetry. Somehow, though, this one is different.
Reblogged this on Watson's Blog.
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Steps
Like ev’ry flower wilts, like youth is fading
and turns to age, so also one’s achieving:
Each virtue and each wisdom needs parading
in one’s own time, and must not last forever.
The heart must be, at each new call for leaving,
prepared to part and start without the tragic,
without the grief – with courage to endeavor
a novel bond, a disparate connection:
for each beginning bears a special magic
that nurtures living and bestows protection.
We’ll walk from space to space in glad progression
and should not cling to one as homestead for us.
The cosmic spirit will not bind nor bore us;
it lifts and widens us in ev’ry session:
for hardly set in one of life’s expanses
we make it home, and apathy commences.
But only he, who travels and takes chances,
can break the habits’ paralyzing stances.
It might be, even, that the last of hours
will make us once again a youthful lover:
The call of life to us forever flowers…
Anon, my heart: Say farewell and recover!
[…] Hermann Hesse – Steps; Translation found here. […]
An exquisite poem which talks about,and explains the secret to expansion and life success.
Olga..many thanks for sharing !
WOW just what I was searching for. Came here by searching for mind
S T A G E S
Alan Collins. 22 May 2015.
As every flower wilts, and fading youth
turns grey, so also one’s achievements,
Each virtue and each wisdom must submit more proof
at every step, evolving with bereavements.
At each new call ahead, the heart must be prepared
to part, at once, and start another drama,
without that hopeless grief, with courage to create
a novel bond, a new kind of dilemma:
for each beginning bears a special magic
which nurtures all that breathes, by its aroma.
We walk from place to place in glad progression,
and cannot cling to any space, as home.
The spirit of the world will never bind or bore us,
but lift us up and over every session.
If set and fixed, in one of these expansions,
we stay at home, then apathy commences;
And only one who travels, takes one’s chances,
can break the old hypnotic habit’s lances.
It may perhaps be true, that in your dying hours
You will become, anew, a youthful lover:
The call of life, to us, forever flowers…
Then oh! my heart: Go forwards and recover!
[…] vocês encontram um link para ler o poema inteiro, traduzido para o […]
Was looking for a bunny, found myself here 👀
…down the rabbit hole! That’s the internet for you!
S T A G E S
Alan Collins. Revised 8th March 2017.
As every flower fades, and every youth
Turns grey, so also one’s achievements,
Each virtue and wisdom must submit more proof
At every step, passing through bereavements.
At each new call the heart must be prepared
To part, at once, and start another kind of living
With courage to create, from grief and panic,
Another novel bond, not sad but stronger:
For each beginning bears a special magic
Which nurtures all that breathes, by its aroma.
We walk from place to place in glad progression,
And cannot cling to any place as home.
The spirit of the world will not bind or bore us,
But wants to lift us up and over every session.
If set and fixed, in one of these expansions,
We stay at home, then apathy commences;
For only he who travels, takes one’s chances,
Can break the old hypnotic habit’s lances.
Perhaps it may be true that our dying hours
Will send, anew, another youthful lover:
The call of life, to us, forever flowers…
And so, my heart: Go onward and recover!
[…] And here’s the English version: […]
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