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

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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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.