Autumn Leave

Winter approaches.
The leaves stir.
Day after day, the flowers wither.
Leaves drop, day and night.
Autumn begins a song to slur.

10/23/63

Translated by Gary Sullivan.

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Herbsturlaub

Der Winter naht.
Die Blätter fallen.
Tag für Tag, die Blumen welken.
Das Laub fällt ab, Tag und Nacht.
Der Herbst beginnt ein Lied zu lallen.

* * *

Notes

"Das Laub" means "the leaves"; "Der Urlaub" means "vacation" or "leave." "Herbsturlaub" would literally be Autumn Vacation, but Autumn Leave is also correct and retains the connection with leaves.

"Lallen" is used to mean "babble" or "prattle"--a drunk person is sometimes said to "lallen." So "slur" fits here, and works to semi-rhyme with "wither" and a "real" rhyme with "stir."

"Stir," of course, is not a literal translation of "fallen," but I wanted to keep the rhyme. Plus, it's spookier.