Es ist ein Meer auszutrinken

English translation: and could you drain the ocean dry...it would not be enough..

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

German term or phrase:	Es ist ein Meer auszutrinken
English translation:	and could you drain the ocean dry...it would not be enough..
Entered by:	Ingeborg Gowans (X)

14:56 Apr 21, 2006

German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / The works of Schiller

German term or phrase: Es ist ein Meer auszutrinken

This comes from a short article about the life of Schiller. The quote appears seperately from the rest of the article, at the very end. A little research shows that the full sentence is "Es ist ein Meer auszutrinken, und ich sehe manchmal das Ende nicht" and it comes from a letter to his friend Körner. Could anyone please supply the official (or most accepted) translation in English.

Anna Blackab (X) KudoZ activity Questions: 7 (none open) Answers: 54
Local time: 06:50

and could you drain the ocean dry...it would not be enough..

Explanation:
certainly not the official version, but in leaning on a hymn (The loive of God ius greater far) and expresses the same idea we can never get to 'the bottom of it" [in praising God] but would also make sense her: as in: there is not enough time in this world to exhaust all the possiblities ..I hope Schiller doesn't turn inhis grave

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Note added at 8 hrs (2006-04-21 23:17:07 GMT)
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thanks, yes, drink is better than drain, I agree

Selected response from:

Ingeborg Gowans (X)
Canada
Local time: 02:50

Grading comment

Thanks to you both for your answers
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +4

and could you drain the ocean dry...it would not be enough..

Ingeborg Gowans (X)

It is an ocean I must drain

Stephen Roche

Answers

32 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

and could you drain the ocean dry...it would not be enough..

Ingeborg Gowans (X)
Canada
Local time: 02:50
Works in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 8

Grading comment

Thanks to you both for your answers

20 hrs confidence:

It is an ocean I must drain

Explanation:
The broader context refers to the writer's agony in finishing his great opus Wallenstein:

"Wie will ich dem Himmel danken, wenn dieser Wallenstein aus meiner Hand und von meinem Schreibtisch verschwunden ist. Es ist ein Meer auszutrinken, und ich sehe manchmal das Ende nicht."

I like Ingeborg's answer but, bearing the context in mind, I propose a slight change:
It is an ocean I must drain, and sometimes I can see no end to it.

Stephen Roche
Local time: 07:50
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 22

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Es ist ein Meer auszutrinken

English translation: and could you drain the ocean dry...it would not be enough..

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Es ist ein Meer auszutrinken

English translation: and could you drain the ocean dry...it would not be enough..

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