Pine and Thunder
[Germany] Nietzsche
I am now above beasts and men;
When I speak - no one answer.
I am tall and lonely now——
Who is standing there in the sky?
I am towering into the blue clouds now, -
Waiting for the thunderbolt.
(Translated by Liang Zongdai, selected from "Collected Poems Translated by Liang Zongdai")
Appreciation
The life of the famous German philosopher Nietzsche (1844-1900) was full of pessimism And sadness, however, he loves life very strongly. This contradiction caused him to fall into a deep sense of loneliness in life, and also made him often look down on his own life from a height and attitude that others did not have, expressing the loneliness and sorrow, passion and longing of life. In this poem, he uses the image of a towering pine as his spokesperson, condescendingly expressing the loneliness and expectation of life.
A pine tree stands high on the top of the mountains, looking up at the vast universe and overlooking all living things. "I am now higher than beasts and humans; / When I speak - no one answers." The poet felt a sense of loneliness that was difficult to be understood by any living being. He sent out affectionate calls to the world, but no one always responded. "I am high and lonely now - / Who am I standing in the sky?" He even raised a serious question about who he is. This is not just a kind of nature that is far away from the hustle and bustle of the world and wanders among the deserted empty mountains and valleys. Loneliness, more importantly, is a sense of loneliness experienced in the chaotic and absurd life phenomena. It reflects the enlightened soul of a philosopher and the upright poetic spirit.
Pine trees are isolated, and people are lonely, but because of their love for life, the lonely "pine" has strong expectations. That is "I am towering into the blue clouds now, -/waiting for the thunderbolt." The roar of thunder will break the silence of the lonely, the tearing of clouds and the pouring of rain will create a new noise in life. This is not the expectation of clear actions, but the expectation of burning life.
(Su Han)