MM N 641, p. 1
She was a swan – It glided with
its long graceful neck slowly across
the water – It looked about with kind
contented eyes – reflected itself
in the water that was light blue with white
clouds like the sky above –
I lived down there in the depths
I poked about amidst blue-black vermin
– green-brown slime and all kinds of hideous creatures
– [I] floundered about in the mire and remembered a time
when I still lived up there
on the surface before I had
all this mire in my bronchia
I was frightened by my own shadow
– terror gripped me and I had to
rise to the bright colours –
I forced my way up – raised my head
above the water’s surface – the light was
so dazzling – it hurt my eyes –
There was the swan – it was so
lovely – it had such kind eyes
MM N 641, p. 2
it was dazzlingly clean
I reached out with my hands
– it approached me – did not [appear to] move
just glided – closer closer
– until it was so close that I thought
I could take it in my arms – press
its white breast to mine – lay
my head in its soft down
– Then it came no closer –
It had a frightened expression
in its eyes – I saw that its breast
had become soiled – the water around
me was dirty – and I saw
my reflection in the water – how
pallid it was –
I heard a terrible
scream and I knew it was
I who had screamed –
The swan was far away from me – it
glided with its kind eyes – on the
shimmering surface of the water – where it reflected
the pure colours of the air –
