Ingeborg Bachmann

[Die Häfen waren geöffnet]

Language: german

Translations: dutch (De havens waren geopend ), turkish ([Açılmıştı limanlar])

[Die Häfen waren geöffnet]

Die Häfen waren geöffnet. Wir schifften uns ein,
die Segel voraus, den Traum über Bord,
Stahl an den Knien und Lachen um unsere Haare,
denn unsere Ruder trafen ins Meer, schneller als Gott.

Unsere Ruder schlugen die Schaufeln Gottes und teilten
die Flut;
vorne war Tag, und hinten blieben die Nächte,
oben war unser Stern, und unten versanken die andern,
draußen verstummte der Sturm, und drinnen wuchs unsre
Faust.

Erst als ein Regen entbrannte, lauschten wir wieder;
Speere stürzten herab und Engel traten hervor,
hefteten schwärzere Augen in unsere schwarzen.
Vernichtet standen wir da. Unser Wappen flog auf:

Ein Kreuz im Blut und ein größeres Schiff überm Herzen.

Ingeborg Bachmann

* 25.06.1926, Klagenfurt, Austria
† 17.10.1973, Rome, Italy

Born in Klagenfurt, the eldest daughter of a local high-school teacher and a housewife, Ingeborg Bachmann studied Philosophy, Psychology and German Philology at the University of Vienna and wrote a doctoral thesis on Martin Heidegger.

Afterwards, she was an editor and lecturer for the radio station 'Rot-Weiß-Rot' in Vienna and wrote her first radio play. In 1953, she moved to Italy and worked as a freelance writer. She also wrote articles for the 'Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung' as ‘Ruth Keller’.

Showered with literary prizes and critical acclaim early on for her poetry, Bachmann published her first volume of prose, “The Thirtieth Year”, in 1961, the year she was awarded the 'Association of German Critics' literary prize.

From 1956 on, she published further radio plays, as well as poetry volumes, such as 'Anrufung des Großen Bären,' volumes of narratives, such as 'Das dreißigste Jahr,' Essays, like 'Die geteilte Stadt,' and novels, like 'Malina.'

For her literary works, she received the 'Literaturpreis der Freien Hansestadt Bremen,' the 'Georg-Büchner-Preis,' the 'Große Österreichische Staatspreis für Literatur,' and the 'Anton-Wildgans-Preis.'

Bachmann died in Rome in 1973 because of severe burns. It is still not certain whether it was an accident or possibly suicide.

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