BREATHING ON THE OUTSIDE

The vulnerable soul guards

 the silence of its solitude!

 On the road, on the way,

 the foot drags and carries

 the burden of trials within itself!

 And at last the will can only conquer

 

The world's impromptu tribunal!

 The way-route that tries man,

 and the home-retreat,

 are bound together;

 man shudders when

 he sees a new goal and task,

 and his conscience falters

 at the sight of surprise success! 

A man's place can only be right

 if his word is answered by sincerity!

 In your soul the incomprehensible

 and unfinished paths wind

 more and more confusedly:

 you set out on them again,

 when everything has become

 uncertain and unknowable

 and you cannot find your place

 - you crawl forward hesitantly

 and half-cowardly on the beaten paths: 

you cannot yet see

 the end of your journey,

 but it is drawing nearer and nearer

 - so you spy it curiously yourself! 

Wherever the encouraging word calls,

 Caring, whispering messengers

 are sent to each other,

 To give thee the eternal baton: 

Faithful cynics, all-questioning They!

 Thou couldst not walk straight paths thyself,

 But crooked ones all the more

 - round and round!

 In your brain, you're surrounded

 by the chains of courage,

 and you're afraid to take a step,

 while under the aegis of your

 inner self, someone is calling you:

 "Don't do it yet, because the result is not certain!"

 - The straight paths are not made for you,

 - it takes a determined,

 loyal will to contemplate

 new plans of war and to realize

 that even the curved paths

 hold unexpected surprises,

 new challenges!