Hank Schwab, who turns 96 October 9th, 2010 has translated Richard Dehmel's Two People
Dr. Andrew Griffin praises this labor of love, accomplished over many years.
Richard Dehmel was a German poet born in 1863. A mountain climber and soldier Dehmel expressed his adventurous spirit in passionate and impressionistic poetry.
His verse novel Zwei Menschen (Two Human Beings) was published in 1903. This work inspired Arnold Schonberg's Verklarte Nacht-Transfigured Night.
This is what Canon Martin said during his Kitchen Sermon at Curham Cathedral October 19, 2003 about Schoenberg's composition.
Schonberg's composition is based on a poem by Richard Dehmel (1863-1920) and tells of 'Two People', a couple, walking at night through a wood. The girl confesses that she is carrying a child by another man; she has betrayed herself and her sex and is a fallen woman. The man responds by saying that she need have no anxiety; she may bear the child for both of them, and he will take care of her. Sfchonberg's music fades as their love merges with the beauty of the night.
The fascinating point about the poem and the composition is that, whereas the poem begins in 'cold,star forest'. it ends in 'high, bright night'. The night is not overcome by the sun, nor enlightened by the dawn, nor brought to an end by light of any kind; rather, the night itself is clarified-verklart-"'transfigured' by the love in the relationship between the two human beings in the poem.
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