by heart and right in the heart

Admittedly, all my free-time had started to bore me a little. I am generally quite good at making things happen and creating things I enjoy, but I was beginning to feel a bit down. So, I decided to arrange a short visit in Weimar, where I used to live once upon a time. My former boss was back from having lived in Turkey for the last six years or so, and I figured it would be great to have a reunion after not having seen her in eight years.

And what a great idea it was! Just getting out of Rosenheim did the trick, I think. K is always full of interesting and unusual stories - a great way to broaden my horizon. By coincidence, the Kunstfest (an art festival) was also going on in town and as part of that, we went to see the play 'by heart'. And it was so touching. It's a one man play by the Portuguese Tiago Rodrigues. As part of the performance, ten members of the audience are asked to take a seat on stage and throughout the play, they learn Shakespeare's Sonnet 30.

I am absolutely terrible at learning things by heart. I remember how I once refused to learn a poem for my English class (I wandered lonely as a cloud by William Wordsworth). Let alone that sitting on a stage was terrifying enough. And I am glad that I didn't volunteer as everyone on stage was so preoccupied with remembering their lines that they weren't really able to follow the play anymore.

Tiago reads from letters and quotes other authors. And it all culminates in the audience on stage reciting Shakespeare in German, followed by Tiago reciting the same Sonnet in Portuguese - all linked to the story he was telling about his grandma - and that was such a touching, emotional climax to this amazing play, which I enjoyed very much.

Wenn ich zum stillen Rat in meiner Brust

Enbiete die Erinn'rung alter Tage,

Wein' ich um manchen schmerzlichen Verlust

Und fueg zu altem Leid die neue Klage.

Dann fliesst mein Aug', das selten Traenen trueben,

Um Freunde, die des Todes Nacht verschlang,

Es weint aufs neu um halb vergess'nes Lieben,

Um mancher frohen Hoffnung Untergang.

Und so, beschwert von alter Zeit Beschwerde,

Seh' Leid um Leid im Buch ich aufgemalt,

Verwehtes Weh beugt tief mein Haupt zur Erde,

Ich zahle neu, als haett' ich nie gezahlt.

Doch denk ich dein, fuehl ich das Leid entschweben

Und, Liebster, nichts verlor ich je im Leben.