Black Elder (Sambucus nigra), flowers and green fruit, Brok, Poland: photo by Beentree, 2004
Standing at my desk
I see through the window the elder tree in the garden
And make out something red and something black
And remember, suddenly, the elders
Of my childhood in Augsburg.
For some minutes later I give serious thought
To whether I should go to the table
To fetch my glasses, so as once again
To see the black berries on the delicate red stalks.
Fruit of Black Elder (Sambucus nigra), Dresden: photo by Martin Röll, 28 August 2003
Stehend an meinen Schreibpult
Sehe ich durchs Fenster im Garten den Holunderstrauch
Und erkenne darin etwas Rotes und etwas Schwarzes
Und erinnere mich plötzlich des Holders
Meiner Kindheit in Augsburg.
Mehrere Minuten erwäge ich
Ganz ernsthaft, ob ich zum Tische gehn soll
Meine Brille holen, und wieder
Die schwarzen Beeren an den roten Zweiglein zu sehen.
Fruit of Black Elder (Sambucus nigra), The Netherlands: photo by Rasbak, 5 October 2005
Flowering Black Elder (Sambucus nigra), Burgwald Mountains near Wetter-Unterrosphe, Hesse, Germany: photo by Willow, 3 June 2007
Stump of Black Elder (Sambucus nigra), Poland: photo by Krzysztof Ziarnek, 24 October 2011
Bertolt Brecht: Schwierige Zieren, 1955: English version by TC
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