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Objektbezug
BUT-NR

Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

sich versenken in

English translation:

to lose oneself in contemplation of

Added to glossary by Stephen Old
Jan 23, 2019 17:40
5 yrs ago
German term

sich versenken in

German to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature Zen and haiku poetry
This text is about Wallace Stevens' poem Thirteen Ways ofLooking at ablackbird:

I think the poet is trying to become one with the balckbird buthow do I translate this term - sich versenken in - exactly. It I remember correctly Hermann Hesse used the term, "sich versenken" to describe a practice like Meditation in his novels. I never found a suitable translation when I readthose novels either.

Als Tier, in das der Dichter sich geistig versenkt hat, stellt sie die Verbindung von Mensch und Natur her, und als "blackbird" verkörpert sie in Korrelation dazu den schwarzen "Barden" ("black
bard“).25)
Proposed translations (English)
4 +4 to lose oneself in contemplation of
5 become absorbed in
3 +1 immerse oneself in
3 to merge with/ become one with/
2 +1 to identify with
References
Your previous query

Discussion

Ramey Rieger (X) Jan 24, 2019:
Obviously, Phil, you are not a poet.
philgoddard Jan 23, 2019:
I think the bit about black bards is very farfetched!
Helen Shiner Jan 23, 2019:
Bitte schön I hope it helps.
Stephen Old (asker) Jan 23, 2019:
sich versenken in. Thanks a lot, Helen. That makes sense. I read Siddhartha, GDas Glasperlenspiel and just about everything else by Hesse when I was young and impressionable. The meaning of that phrase has bothered me for 40 yrs! I love the attachment too. Thanks.

Proposed translations

+4
9 mins
Selected

to lose oneself in contemplation of

One suggestion with meditative intent

A guiding ideal of the haiku poet is selflessness: to lose oneself in contemplation of the object. https://www.thehaikufoundation.org/omeka/files/original/f134...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days 3 hrs (2019-01-25 20:57:29 GMT) Post-grading
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They do. It seems it is integral to the haiku, as well.
Peer comment(s):
agree philgoddard : http://en.pons.com/translate/german-english/versenken
28 mins
Thanks, Phil
agree Melanie Meyer
34 mins
Thanks, Melanie
agree Anna Augustin
52 mins
Thank you, Anna
neutral Michael Martin, MA : Sounds more like an explanation rather than a translation. How would you fit that into the sentence?//Normal English isn't the issue, sentence structure is. Show me how that sentence would accommodate your lengthy phrase and I'll withdraw my objection.
17 hrs
It's normal English, Michael. I'll leave that to the Asker, as ever.
agree Darin Fitzpatrick
21 hrs
Thanks, Darin
neutral Lirka : It sounds very nice, but I agree with Michael.
2 days 3 hrs
Thanks for your comment. It is appropriate to the meditative context, whereas the other suggestions are not.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks Helen. Poets definitely lose themselves in the objects they are contemplating. The ones I am writing about did anyway. "
16 mins

to merge with/ become one with/

to lose oneself in - another possibility of selflessness. Unfortunately, contemplation/meditation are, as verbs, poor translations
Peer comment(s):
agree Katarina Peters : in this context.
16 mins
Let's be one,..
disagree philgoddard : This is overtranslation in my opinion, and you haven't provided any evidence.
20 mins
I don't need evidence for what I know. To merge with is often used in contemplative/meditative practices.
disagree Anna Augustin : I agree with Phil, it's a bit too literal.
47 mins
See above.
agree Helen Shiner : Considering the meditative context, I think this would work, too.
2 days 2 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
37 mins

immerse oneself in

Seems like the expression is akin or at least similar to the idea of authors immersing themselves in their subjects.

My working translation:
As animal, in which the poet has spiritually immersed herself, she joins man and nature, and as "blackbird", she embodies its counterpart, black "bard".
Peer comment(s):
agree Anne Schulz
16 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
11 hrs

to identify with

His consciousness never sicklied over the scene of decision and action ; it completely and inwardly identified itself with it.
https://brocku.ca/MeadProject/Dewey/Dewey_1931.html
Note from asker:
Thanks, Wendy. As so often in English, there are many possible translations for this phrase. Each with a slightly different shade of meaning. I usually want to use them all!
Peer comment(s):
agree Lirka : I find this one most suitable
1 day 15 hrs
Many thanks, lirka!
Something went wrong...
4 days

become absorbed in

something takes up all your attention
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

19 hrs
Reference:

Your previous query

I think your previous query is relevant for the interpretation and translation of this one, and would therefore like to include it by reference for future readers of this post.

"Den Objektbezug Stevens' bildet das kigo "Drossel", welche als schwarzer Punkt die einzelnen Bilder zu einem "Haiku-Satz" an-einanderreiht und mit dem Autor identisch ist."
Reference:

https://www.proz.com/kudoz/german-to-english/poetry-literature/6616582-objektbezug.html

Note from asker:
Thanks, Anne, That quotation did not come up when I searched Proz.com/judoz for "Objektbezug,"
Something went wrong...
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