Thursday, January 10, 2008

When Geometric Diagrams and Digits

Novalis (1800)
translated by Robert Bly

When geometric diagrams and digits
Are no longer the keys to living things,
When people who go about singing and kissing
Know deeper things than the great scholars,
When society is returned once more
To unimprisoned life, and to the universe,
And when life and darkness mate
Once more and make something entirely transparent,
And people see in poems and fairy tales
The true history of the world,
Then our entire twisted nature will turn
And run when a single secret word is spoken.

4 comments:

dan said...

from News of the Universe: Poems of Twofold Consciousness
chosen and introduced by Robert Bly

Doug said...

Error in line 7. And when light and darkness mate - not life and darkness.

Unknown said...

As a mathematician I totally refute the meaning of this poem & am happy to discuss the topic.

Unknown said...

Ready when you are unknown mathematician...