Life in Widening Circles
DIS·C1

«I Live my Life in Widening Circles»
by Rainer Maria Rilke 

Ich lebe mein Leben in wachsenden Ringen,
die sich über die Dinge ziehn.
Ich werde den letzten vielleicht nicht vollbringen,
aber versuchen will ich ihn.
Ich kreise um Gott, um den uralten Turm,
und ich kreise jahrtausendelang;
und ich weiss noch nicht: bin ich ein Falke, ein Sturm
oder ein grosser Gesang.
* * *
I live my life in widening circles
that reach out across the world.
I may not complete this last one
but I give myself to it.
I circle around God, around the primordial tower.
I’ve been circling for thousands of years
and I still don’t know: am I a falcon,
a storm, or a great song?

The poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote this wonderful, soulful, inspiring and life-affirming poem in 1899. These lines have been interpreted in all kinds of ways. While looking at the picture of the Woodcut at the top, we notice the widening circles and can relate to the metaphor of life. We also see the deep furrows and radial cracks. Do they signify the trials and tribulations that we have to cope with? And what about the nail?​​​​​​​
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