cancel the count

I went to see The Winter Soldier again. Have some Rilke.

Sei allem Abschied voran, als wäre er hinter
dir, wie der Winter, der eben geht.
Denn unter Wintern ist einer so endlos Winter,
daß, überwinternd, dein Herz überhaupt übersteht.

Sei immer tot in Eurydike—, singender steige,
preisender steige zurück in den reinen Bezug.
Hier, unter Schwindenden, sei, im Reiche der Neige,
sei ein klingendes Glas, das sich im Klang schon zerschlug.

Sei—und wisse zugleich des Nicht-Seins Bedingung,
den unendlichen Grund deiner innigen Schwingung,
daß du sie völlig vollziehst dieses einzige Mal.

Zu dem gebrauchten sowohl, wie zum dumpfen und stummen
Vorrat der vollen Natur, den unsäglichen Summen,
zähle dich jubelnd hinzu und vernichte die Zahl.


Be ahead of all parting, as though it already were
behind you, like the winter that has just gone by.
For among those winters there is one so endlessly winter
that only by wintering through it will your heart survive.

Be forever dead in Eurydice—more gladly arise
into the seamless life proclaimed in your song.
Here, in the realm of decline, among momentary days,
be the crystal cup that shattered even as it rang.

Be—and yet know the great void where all things begin,
the infinite source of your own most intense vibration,
so that, this once, you may give it your perfect assent.

To all that is used-up, and to all the muffled and dumb
creatures in the world's full reserve, the unsayable sums,
joyfully add yourself, and cancel the count.

—Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926), II, 13 from The Sonnets to Orpheus, 1923, translated by Stephen Mitchell (New York: Vintage International, 1989). This might be my favorite of the whole sonnet sequence. I do actually like Rilke even when he's not having lots of feelings about Orpheus, but the thing is that I have lots of feelings about Orpheus, and on this topic I feel we share a certain rapport. And, you know, I'm not saying I'm drawing any Orpheus/Eurydice Steve/Bucky parallels, but I'm not saying I'm not, either.