Post photo: hand | © Pixabay
Old school friends might even remember it, because it hung very prominently in my childhood bedroom. Ultimately, it was even the reason why I chose Latin over French when choosing the language at school.
Over the years I have found many translations of my favorite poem, not only into German, but also into French and English. But none of these translations really convinced me. And I certainly don't want to offer my own translation, since my old school Latin shouldn't be nearly enough for that.
I also once put the poem on a website along with other poems, and there it was voted the most read poem by readers in 2010-2013.
Now I hope I have really made you a little curious about this poem. It comes from Publius Aelius Hadrianus and was written around the year 100.
Animula, vagula, blandula
Hospes comesque corporis
Quae nunc abibis in loca
Pallidula, rigida, nudula,
Nec, ut soles, dabis iocos.
Publius Aelius Hadrianus
"When you explain poetry, it becomes banal. Better than any explanation is the experience of feelings that poetry can reveal to a nature open enough to understand it.”
Philippe Noiret as Pablo Neruda in Il Postino (1994)
