Reined In 

I refuse to be reined in

by constraints,

Or hedged up

against a wall.

If I cannot write

what I think,

Then I’d rather not

write at all.

 Eingeengt

Ich lasse mich

weder einengen⁸

Noch in die

Ecke drängen.⁹

Darf ich nicht schreiben,

was ich denke,

Verzichte ich drauf,

bevor ich mich verrenke.¹⁰

⁸ This poem is about « social constraints, » as well as « constrained translation, » a term from translation studies used to designate a form of translation that must simultaneously conform with multiple factors, such as the translation of rhymed poetry. This requires the translator to loyally replicate the meaning of the original, as well as the form of the original, including the line divisions, rhythm, and literary devices, such as alliteration, rhymes, metaphors, wordplay, etc.

⁹ « Drängen » (to force) rhymes with « einengen » (to constrain) in the first German verse. In the English version, the German rhymes are compensated by the rhyming lines in the second and fourth verses: « wall » and « all. »

¹⁰ The German word « denke » literally means « think, » and it rhymes in the German version with « verrenke » (wrench or dislocate) in the final verse. In the English version, it proved impossible to use the same rhyme scheme as in the German, which is often the case when translating rhymed German-language poetry into English. The reason being that the German language has far more rhyming words on account of its common suffixes. In this sense, German is somewhat similar to French, whereas English is comparatively poor in rhymes. Even Shakespeare wrote primarily in blank verse.