Take this moment and blossom in it

On By Inese, visual artist, writer and life sciences bloggerIn autumn colors, happiness, life, nature photography, poem, writing

The intelligence of plants and trees never stops surprising me. When we are saying: we have time we are cheating ourselves. Time allows us to be and use the moments we are in.

It’s a wonderfully warm and sunny fall morning. Quite rare pleasant warmth and undisturbed sunshine. It’s not interrupted by offensive noises, like loud music or silly human talk. This morning is filled only with birds’ chatter and soft whispers of leaves as they walk down the tree. The garden responds to the gift of the nature: everything that can is in bloom.

We as humans waste our time and do not use it in our favor. Look at the garden plants: they know what time is and they know when to push themselves to the full potential. This morning is magic with all the plants putting out their last blooms before the frost takes them away.

Geranium, late fall
Pink hibiscus

This post is short because words are limiting when it comes to describing beauty. The immense range of great emotions this beauty evokes is to tell us we do not have to go anywhere, but stay in the middle of this breathtaking landscape.

So, take this moment and blossom in it!

Nobody described the fall and our travels in the Universe better than Rainer Maria Rilke:

Herbst

Die Blätter fallen, fallen wie von weit,

als welkten in den Himmeln ferne Gärten;

sie fallen mit verneinender Gebärde.

Und in den Nächten fällt die schwere Erde

aus allen Sternen in die Einsamkeit.

Wir alle fallen. Diese Hand da fällt.

Und sieh dir andre an: es ist in allen.

Und doch ist Einer, welcher dieses Fallen

unendlich sanft in seinen Händen hält.

I encourage you to study German language. Nothing ever replaces the original. I translated this poem into Latvian many years ago, approximately in 1985. Since most people have no idea what Latvian language is like, I won’t insert it here. However, I’m attaching a quick rendering of Rainer Maria Rilke’s poem “Herbst” into English by me:

The leaves are falling as if from the distance,

As if in heavens gardens far-away are wilting.

These leaves are falling with denying motion.

And during nights, the heavy earth is falling

From all the stars into the loneliness.

We all are falling. This hand here is in fall.

And look at other one: it’s all around us.

But yet, there is One, who is holding

This falling never-ending-gently in his hands.

Beauty of backyard flowers in late fall

For illustration, I’m adding my garden gallery.

Enjoy the weather if it’s as good in your place!

30 thoughts on “Take this moment and blossom in it”

    1. Thanks very much Tiffany!
      I studied quite a few languages, and I have Masters in German language and Literature. I was quite fluent in German since I was 12, but picked up English only later, during University.
      Small nations like Latvians have to learn languages and so they do. We had to speak also Russian since grade 1, Latvia was within USSR until 1991 when we regained the status of independent republic once again.
      Languages are great, and it is kind of wonderful to read everything in original. I was and still do some large scale translations for global medical and pharmaceutical industry for almost 4 decades.
      Other than that Rilke has always been a poet which I liked reading, pretty much from age 16, and i was certainly reading his poems in original.
      It’s never too late to start learning something new. Besides, modern German uses a lot of English.

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  3. Beautiful expression…and lovely pictures..
    Yes..the plants know when to be in full bloom..they grow irrespective of what is happening around…You have a beautiful garden…out here the process of planting all the varieties you have has just started…they will bloom from December to march …
    I am trying to learn German through Duolingo…so could get some words from the poem…thank you for the apt translation…
    Stay blessed 🙏😇

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      1. It is so nice 🙂 You may try making tomato jam, tomato juice, tomato facepack, tomato chutney, tomato pickle etc. We got a good pumpkin harvest few months back and I did a variety of dishes from it 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Thanks! I am doing all of that. I run out of jars, but will definitely preserve more for winter.
        My pumpkins are not that great this year, first squirrels got to them and then the weather wasn’t right. I have great kale, many large sweet peppers which are just getting red, all kinds of greens, lots of beets and carrots, kohlrabi, still lettuce and probably more which doesn’t cross my mind at the moment.
        It’s fantastic to have all of that!

        Liked by 1 person

  5. It is a beautiful poem and translation, Inese. The flowers and greenery are balm for the soul.

    Our tomatoes have done well here, too. It has been a strange weather year, and it has been insightful watching how various plants deal with changes.

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    1. Thanks Leif!
      It’s famous poem, and I have translated it before, like I said, some time around 1985. Rilke deserves attention for his unique views and emotional journeys into unknown.
      It’s sad seeing how it gets colder and colder here in Ontario, and everything is still blooming. It looks very pretty outside, and thankfully, we haven’t had any frost yet.

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    1. Thanks very much Lavinia!
      It’s so nice you found a moment to leave this wonderful comment, although, I know what tough times you’ve gone through just recently.
      To be honest, I do enjoy the autumn season to the fullest. Today, the weather was rather cool and the sky was covered with thick clouds, but, most often, we have sunshine and the flowers are so beautiful, even more so because they’ll be over soon. Plants are also still doing fine. Some tomatoes are still producing and green, lots of other things, too.
      I’m a bit behind with art and my book, but that will have to wait.
      I hope you have peaceful and fruitful autumn also!

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  8. theburningheart

    Aus dieser Wolke, siehe: die den Stern

    so wild verdeckt, der eben war — (und mir),

    aus diesem Bergland drüben, das jetzt Nacht,

    Nachtwinde hat für eine Zeit — (und mir),

    aus diesem Fluß im Talgrund, der den Schein

    zerrißner Himmels-Lichtung fängt — (und mir);

    aus mir und alledem ein einzig Ding

    zu machen, Herr: aus mir und dem Gefühl,

    mit dem die Herde, eingekehrt im Pferch,

    das große dunkle Nichtmehrsein der Welt

    ausatmend hinnimmt —, mir und jedem Licht

    im Finstersein der vielen Häuser, Herr:

    ein Ding zu machen; aus den Fremden, denn

    nicht Einen kenn ich, Herr, und mir und mir

    ein Ding zu machen; aus den Schlafenden,

    den fremden alten Männern im Hospiz,

    die wichtig in den Betten husten, aus

    schlaftrunknen Kindern an so fremder Brust,

    aus vielen Ungenaun und immer mir,

    aus nichts als mir und dem, was ich nicht kenn,

    das Ding zu machen, Herr Herr Herr, das Ding,

    das welthaft-irdisch wie ein Meteor

    in seiner Schwere nur die Summe Flugs

    zusammennimmt: nichts wiegend als die Ankunft.

    Of the many books I keep by my bedside I got Rilke’s book, there and read a poem of his before going to bed, although my German it’s awful, but I got a translation into Spanish in the same book face, to face with the German, and read both.

    And I agree with you the German sounds a lot better.

    Your garden looks lovely Inese. 🙂

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    1. This is fantastic!
      I lost the original Rilke’s book when I moved from Latvia to Canada. I had many original exclusive books, but this was a big move and I hardly could take anything with me. I arrived with 1 suitcase in 2004 and got to see my place in Latvia in 2006 again, basically, almost everything was gone, and among that also my rare books.
      I love this poem.
      I studied German for many years, started reading in German when I was just 12, won the State competition, later got my first BA in German language and literature, and afterwards also MA. I used to write my own poems also in German back in 70’s and 80’s and got a chance to present my German poetry in 1991 to a wide audience in Germany. The borders were now open and I could spend some time there which I did, in Berlin and also in countryside, closer to the Italian border. I was giving speeches and meeting numerous great people, but these trips were sponsored by church. I spent quite a lot of time there traveling on my own, up to a few months every time.
      I basically mean the original is the best. I can say the same about Russian literature and poetry. I speak Russian absolutely fluently still after 16 years in Canada, it was mandatory since grade 1.
      I can also read now everything in original English, everything I wanted 40 and 50 years ago.
      Time flies, it’s interesting how one can end up in Canada when they never even had that intention.
      It’s so nice to hear from you, I will check out your blog later, too. I’m working outdoors at the moment.
      Stay safe and huge thank you for the poem!

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  9. theburningheart

    I read Rilke’s letters to a young poet many years ago, since then I look for his works, today I posses not his full works but a hefty 1,757 pages of his works, mainly chosen works, of poems and letters, the advantage his poems come in the original German, with a fairly good translation in Spanish.
    In English you also can find similar books with the German original, and the translation in English, and if you search in a bookstore online in Germany you may be able to get the books you lost.
    Greetings Inese. 🙂

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    1. Certainly, there would be ways to do that.
      I will probably wait until we can go to Latvia again, and there are good antique and rare book stores in Riga. That’s where I found the first one.
      I would prefer with no translation, just as is, the original editions if possible. That we will have to see. It wasn’t a lot of money in 70’s, but everything is much more expensive now.
      My own book about drawing and watercolor is on my priority list right now. I haven’t made much progress recently, but I don’t want to feel rushed either.
      Thanks again, great talking to you!

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  10. theburningheart

    Well, I have a lot of experience buying books online, from Europe, and all over the World, even from India, you do not have to go there and search bookstores for them, from Germany to the US the shipping for five Rileke’s volumes : Gesammelte Werke in fünf Bänden.

    Insel Verlag, 2003. Gut/Very good: Buch bzw. Schutzumschlag mit wenigen Gebrauchsspuren an Einband, Schutzumschlag oder Seiten. / Describes a book or dust jacket that does show some signs of wear on either the binding, dust jacket or pages. Seller Inventory # M0345817186X-V

    For $64 US dlls + $7.03 shipping
    Probably a lot less, than what you will have to pay at the airport for excessive weight in your luggage. Imagine Canada shipping will be about the same? But do not know for certain.

    Plus online you can contact the seller, and have pictures of the books sent to you, and you can ask them all sorts of questions, rarely I have been disappointed, and pretty much get what I want.

    Too bad I cannot send you the picture here in wordpress they look beautiful.

    But of course I ignore if you have better options, over there, its just a suggestion on my part.

    Take care Inese. 🙂

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    1. Good for you!
      I rarely, in fact, extremely rarely buy anything online. The prices are actually higher if you order from Canada. The same item, but up to 30% more than in the US, not sure about other places.
      I’m not in desperate need for any book at the moment, and my daughter also sends me magazines I love to read and could do the same about some book, but we have a wedding in family next July, I hope the situation will be such that I can fly over.
      LOL, I have a lot of experience flying in tons of items, like heavy watercolor paper, paints, brushes, etc. from Europe because when you buy in person you get much more choice over there and extremely attractive prices.
      I will write down the name, though, and that will serve as reference in case I decide to go ahead with online order because who knows what will happen later this winter.
      Thanks very much, I really appreciate the advice and information!

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  11. theburningheart

    I understand, I use a platform like Abebooks it looks for books all over the world, you can even choose any language you wish, hardcover, or softcover, edition, and key words, and look for the lower price, or higher price and also look for the good condition of the book, and it give many choices of sellers, and you can find them in the most rarest places, like a Spanish book in India, where they make cheap reprints of books no longer printed, or available, last year I got a book there that my father gave me but someone stole from me forty years ago, and was no longer in print since a century ago, bought it for $9 dollars, and free shipping!

    Just to give you an idea.

    Take care 🙂

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    1. That sounds really amazing! I’m just buying books at the local second hand bookstore at the moment. It has a very large selection. I bought 11 decent books for $17 last time. It can be way more, too, depending on what book you’re buying. I read fast, it really suits me well.
      That is a perfect platform if you need something special. I will note that, sounds amazing.
      Take care!

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