Star in My Forehead: Selected Poems

Front Cover
Holy Cow! Press, 2000 - Poetry - 121 pages

Else Lasker-Schüler's poems are small red fires of passion in a time of total darkness. At great cost, she rescued her innocence from the brutality of the Nazi age and tested the resilience of her Jewish soul. In these translations, Janine Canan renders into English both the lyrical intensity of that endeavor, and the palpable danger and mystery that made it possible. This is travel at root-level.-Andrei Codrescu

Night Secret

I have chosen you
among all these stars.

Am awake, a listening flower
in the buzzing bush.

Our lips long to make honey,
our shimmering nights are in full bloom.

From your body's holy spark
my heart lights its heaven.

All my dreams hang from your gold.
I have chosen you among all these stars.

Contents

Preface
ix
Translators Note
xi
SONG OF THE BLESSED 18841911
21
Song of the Blessed Das Lied des Gesalbten
23
Shulamite Sulamith
25
Love Die Liebe
26
The Evening Rests on My Brow Der Abend ruht auf meiner Stirne
29
Night Secret Heimlich zur Nacht
31
To the Barbarian Dem Barbaren
71
But Your Eyebrows Are Storms Aber deine Brauen sind Unwetter
73
A Love Song Ein Liebeslied
75
Parted Abschied
77
Our Love Song Unser Liebeslied
79
Farewell Abschied
81
A Song Ein Lied
83
My Mother Meine Mutter
85

When You Come Wenn Du Kommst
33
An Old Tibetan Carpet Ein alter Tibetteppich
35
am Sad Ich bin traurig
37
Homesick Heimweh
39
Mary of Nazareth Marie von Nazareth
41
HEBREW BALLADS 19051920
43
Atonement Versöhnung
45
My People Mein Volk
47
Abel Abel
51
Hagar and Ishmael Hagar und Ishmael
53
Jacob Jakob
55
Pharaoh and Joseph Pharao und Joseph
57
David and Jonathan David und Jonathan
59
Esther Esther
61
Sabaoth Zebaoth
65
To God An Gott
67
OUR LOVE SONG 19131923
69
The Old Temple in Prague Der alte Tempel in Prag
87
My Silent Song Mein stilles Lied
89
Prayer Gebet
93
MY BLUE PIANO 19321945
95
My Blue Piano Mein blaues Klavier
97
Know Ich Weiss
98
Autumn Herbst
101
A Love Song Ein Liebeslied
105
Love You Ich liebe dich
107
In My Womb In meinem Schosse
109
To the Beloved Dem Holden
111
My Fate Led Me into the Clouds Mich führte in die Wolke
113
My Freedom Meine Freiheit
115
Sleep at Night Ich schlafe in der Nacht
117
A Single Human Being Unfinished Ein Einziger Mensch
119
Exhausted My Heart Rests Mein Herz ruht müde
121
Copyright

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