Till Lindemann's 'Messer' - 'Endlich'

One of Till's quiet and tearjerking poems about death. I felt a lot for this one. Definitely recommended.

Disclaimer: Poem copyrighted to Till Lindemann. This post does not include photos/illustrations of said poem from 'Messer'. The original German text is also not included. This is only a interpretive translation and accuracy is not guaranteed.



At Last

Out of torrential rain and high fever
A gleaming light warms my face
I have found you, my noble donor
And you pass me the sceptre

Now I laugh whenever you are pleased
And eat whenever you are hungry
I drink only to your health
And talk only to your lips

I am like how you have wanted me.

Soon, I rise up like a lark
Climbing upon high fields
The rich ever-green meadows
And strewn with damp knees

With great sickel I reap
And honey flows in all directions
I also steal fruit upon stilts
To satisfy my hunger there

So I went up like a lark
A little ink and paper
And the flesh slips from the bowels;
Yes, you can have everything there.

I also feel sorry for those righteous fools.

I fill the stomach and the pockets
And clear you of 'to have' and 'to be'
With every heartbeat a little more
Herewith I can rise up as a lark

At last I am ready for what's important
Also for the great sleep -
And I am like how you have wanted me.

Comments: There isn't much to say. 'I also steal fruit upon stilts/To satisfy my hunger there' is rather the other way around in the original German; I couldn't make it flow as easily in English. One thing I find interesting is how the singular lines have been worked into the poems, the ones that make a bold statement of their own instead of in verse.

As for who the 'you' is, that's clearly up for interpretation as more than just 'God'. I liked this one a lot.