<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">L O W L A N D S - L - 26 January 2008 - Volume 08</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">=========================================================================</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From: R. F. Hahn <</span><a style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" href="mailto:sassisch@yahoo.com" target="_blank">sassisch@yahoo.com</a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">></span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Subject: Remembrance</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Dear Lowlanders,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">January 27 is Holocaust Memorial Day. So please spare a few appropriate thoughts and remember that unfortunately genocidal activities are not yet things of the past.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Below please find one of Waltrud Bruhn's Low Saxon poems on the subject, followed by my translation.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Regards,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Reinhard/Ron</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">***</span><br><br><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><b style="font-family: georgia,serif;">AUSCHWITZ</b><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Vun Waltrud Bruhn (1936‒1999)</span></i><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Wo oolt warrd Raven?</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Fastknevelt in'n Boom ‒</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">stief sünd de Telgen vun't Ies ‒</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">luuthals in heeschhatte Winterklaag</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">schreet se</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">vun leidlege Tieden.</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Wat möök ehr so heeschgrimmig schreen?</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Is't düsse Dag, de sik wegsneert?</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Sünd't de Jahren vull Bangen,</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">as se blots Rookwulken sehn</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">‒ Freed, Himmel un Eer weern verraden</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">un keen Verlööfd för de Vagels</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">to'n Nesten ‒ ?</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Angstdood dat Gras.</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Smachtmöhl de Maag, Klappklöter de Snavels.</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"> Aas-Raven</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"> so klaagt se:</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"> Arg! Arg! Arg!</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"> Wo oolt warrd Raven?</span><br><br></div>***<br><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><br><b style="font-family: georgia,serif;">AUSCHWITZ</b><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">By Waltrud Bruhn (1936‒1999)</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Translated by R. F. Hahn, ©2002</span></i><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">How long do ravens live?</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Claw-clinched in the tree—</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">the branches of ice—</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">loud-mouthing in hoarse-harsh winter plaint</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">they squawk</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">about gravely grievous times.</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">What could be making them squawk so hoarsely mad?</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Is it this day that's sneaking away?</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Is it the years full of fright</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">when all they saw were clouds of smoke</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">—peace, heaven and earth having been betrayed,</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">and no permission for the nesting</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">of birds</span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">—</span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">?</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Dread-dead the grass.</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Hunger mills their stomachs, clack-rattles their beaks.</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"> Darn ravens ...</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"> That's how they wail:</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"> Awe! Awe! Awe!</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"> How long do ravens live?</span><br style="font-family: georgia,serif;">
<br style="font-family: georgia,serif;"></div><br>