Er wartet auf den Mittagswind die Welle kommt und legt sich matt mit einem Fächer jeden Tag der Alte macht das Wasser glatt Ich werf den Stein zu meinem Spaß das Wasser sich im Kreis bewegt der Alte sieht mich traurig an und hat es wieder glatt gefegt Im weißen Sand der alte Mann zitternd seine Pfeife raucht nur das Wasser und ich wissen wozu er diesen Fächer braucht Die Ahnung schläft wie ein Vulkan zögernd hab ich dann gefragt den Kopf geneigt es schien er schläft hat er bevor er starb gesagt Das Wasser soll dein Spiegel sein erst wenn es glatt ist, wirst du sehen wieviel Märchen dir noch bleibt und um Erlösung wirst du flehen Den Fächer an den Leib gepresst im Todeskrampf erstarrt die Hand die Finger mussten sie ihm brechen der Fächer bleibt zurueck im Sand Den Alten ruf ich jeden Tag er möchte mich doch hier erlösen ich bleib zurück im Mittagswind und in dem Fächer kann ich lesen Das Wasser soll dein Spiegel sein erst wenn es glatt ist, wirst du sehen wieviel Märchen dir noch bleibt und um Erlösung wirst du flehen |
He waits for the midday's wind the wave comes and lies down wearily with a fan every day the old one makes the water smooth I throw the stone for fun the water moves in circles the old one looks sadly at me and swept it smooth again In the white sand, the old man trembling, smokes his pipe only the water and I know why he needs this fan The premonition sleeps like a volcano hesitating, I asked him then his head bent, it seemed he slept before he died he said The water shall be your mirror only when it is smooth will you see how many fairy tales are left for you and you will plead for salvation The fan pressed against his body the hand stiffens with rigor mortis they had to break his fingers the fan stays back in the sand I call the old one every day for him to save me here I stay back in the midday's wind and I can read in the fan The water shall be your mirror only when it is smooth will you see how many fairy tales are left for you and you will plead for salvation |
This song is about a man who watches an old man stare at himself in a reflecting pool and fan the water smooth when it is disrupted. The old man is possessed by the reflection of himself. After seeing this, the one who threw the stone in the beginning looks into the water and sees the same thing the old man saw and also becomes possessed. He then calls for the old man to save him from the same fate. This song is possibly about the cleansing of society.
“Der Alte sieht mich traurig an” means :” the old one (the old man) is looking sadly towards me”
trust me im german
the infinitiv of the word is ansehen and its Der Alte not die Alte (this would mean old women).
Problem with the word ansehen is that it can be used differntly.
example :Der mann lässt es sich nicht ansehen, dass er krank ist
Translation: The man won’t let it be seen that he is sick
But
Der man schaut das Haus an
The man looks at the house.
I think the song’s about mortality. When you get old and realise death is near, a though you’ve been putting off your whole life, you won’t want to die.
“The water shall be your mirror. Only when it is smooth will you see how many fairy tales are left for you, and you will plead for salvation”
I love this song and all of the interpretations shown here, but what’s about the part of ‘social cleansing’?
It seems quite outlandish idea about this song, but I can rerate to it somehow.
In this context, it’s implied that old (and ‘useless’) people have to leave the society and the younger will follow the suite when they get old.
Fairy tales may mean the fantasy where every person can live ‘happily ever after’. In reality, the society force the weak to die.
Quite depressing, fascinating song though.
The old man waits for the calm of midday to contemplate his life. He sees so much of what he has done in life is wrong, and he is depressed he didn’t understand until now. You don’t see your mistakes in the turmoil of life until you get older (when the water is smooth).
The younger man, telling the story, throws a rock in the water to disturb it,…he doesn’t want to contemplate, he just want more, better in his life. The old man smooths the water with the fan to resume contemplation and death comes to him. Before he dies he explains it to the young one, and warns him that his foolish approach is burning away much of what his life could be, but he won’t recognize it until he, too, is old.
This interpretation is brilliant, love it!
its about obsession… the greek myth narcissus