Herman Gorter Biography
Herman Gorter (November 26, 1864, Wormerveer - September 15, 1927, Brussels) was a Dutch poet and socialist. He was a leading member of the Tachtigers, a highly influential group of Dutch writers who worked together in Amsterdam in the 1880s, centered around De Nieuwe Gids (The New Guide).
Gorter's first book, a 4,000 verse epic poem called "Mei" ("May"), sealed his reputation as a great writer upon its publication in 1889, and is regarded as the pinnacle of Dutch Impressionist literature. Gorter rapidly followed this up with a book of short lyric poetry simply called "Verzen" ("Verses") in 1890, which, after the initial bad reviews, was equally hailed as a masterpiece.
Gorter shared in common with the Tachtigers an interest in leftist politics, and became the most politically involved of the group, becoming an active writer on socialist theory. He joined the Social Democratic Labour Party (Sociaal-Democratische Arbeiderspartij or SDAP) in 1897. In 1909 he participated in a schism from the SDAP to form the Social-Democratic Party (Sociaal-Democratische Partij) of the Netherlands. He wrote a massive new epic poem called Pan in 1912, describing the First World War being followed by a global Socialist revolution. In 1917, he hailed the Russian revolution as the beginning of that global revolution, although he soon afterward came to oppose Lenin.
In 1918 the Social-Democratic Party changed its name to the Communist Party of Holland (Communistische Partij Holland), and in 1919 Gorter left the party. In 1921 he was a founding member of the Communist Workers Party of Germany, joining its Essen Faction and becoming a leading supporter of the Communist Workers International. Gorter died in Brussels in 1927.
Gorter was involved with the Significs group.
Een nieuwe lente en een nieuw geluid:
Ik wil dat dit lied klinkt als het gefluit,
Dat ik vaak hoorde voor een zomernacht
...
Zie je ik hou van je,
ik vin je zoo lief en zoo licht -
je oogen zijn zoo vol licht,
ik hou van je, ik hou van je.
En je neus en je mond en je haar
en je oogen en je hals waar
je kraagje zit en je oor
met je haar er voor.
Zie je ik wou graag zijn
jou, maar het kan niet zijn,
het licht is om je, je bent
nu toch wat je eenmaal bent.
O ja, ik hou van je,
ik hou zoo vrees'lijk van je,
ik wou het heelemaal zeggen -
Maar ik kan het toch niet zeggen.
...
You see I love you, love,
I think you're so sweet and so light -
your eyes are so full of light,
I love you, love. I love you, love.
And your nose and your mouth and your hair
and your eyes and your neck, where
your collar is and your ear,
your hair falling clear.
You see I'd like to be
you, but it's not to be,
the light is round you, you are
quite simply what you are.
Yes, I love you, love,
I love you so utterly,
Just how much, I'm dying to say -
But I simply can't find a way.
...
Toen de tijden bladstil waren, lang geleen,
is ze geboren, in herfststilte een bloem,
die staat bleeklicht in 't vale lichtgeween, -
regenen doen de wolken om haar om.
Ze stond bleeklicht midden in somberheid,
de lichte oogen, 't blond haar daarom gespreid,
de witte handen, tranen op meen'gen tijd,
een licht arm meisje dat lichthonger lijdt.
Breng over haar bloemgloede kleuren, uw
bloedrood, o nieuw getijde dat is nu.
...
When no leaf stirred, long ago in the past,
she was born, autumnal silence's bloom,
standing pale-bright while light weeps, overcast
rain falling from cloud banks that loom.
Amid the grimness she stood pale-bright,
blond hair trailing round eyes alight,
tears often flowing, hands all white,
a poor light girl who's hungry for light.
Paint her with bloom-glow hues, with your
blood red, you new age that stand at the door.
...
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