Skip to content

Scottish Poetry Library

Register/Sign in
Shopping Bag Shopping Bag
Bringing people and poems together
  • Home
  • Poetry
    • Poems
    • Poets
    • Our National Poet
    • Best Scottish Poems
    • Poetry and Mindfulness
    • Podcasts
    • Posters
    • Publishers
  • Library
    • Become a borrower
    • Catalogue
    • Collections
    • Ask a librarian
    • Copyright enquiries
  • Learning
    • National Poetry Day 2019
    • National Poetry Day archive
    • SQA set texts
    • Learning resources
    • New to poetry?
    • Advice for poets
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Exhibitions
    • Venue hire
    • List an event
    • Fringe application
  • Shop
    • LGBTQ+ History Month
    • New Titles
    • Pocket Poets
    • Scottish Poetry
    • Pamphlets & Small Presses
    • Help
  • About us
    • Our story
    • Our people
    • Our projects
    • Jobs
    • Our building
    • FAQs
    • Find us
  • Support us
    • Become a Friend
    • Donate
    • Easy Fundraising
  • Blog
Shopping BagShopping Bag
Ask a librarian
  • Home
  • >
  • Poetry
    • >
  • Jan Wagner
    • >
  • Teebeutel/Tea bag
Donate Donate icon Ask a Librarian Ask a Librarian icon

Teebeutel/Tea bag

Jan Wagner

I

nur in sackleinen
gehüllt. kleiner eremit
in seiner höhle.

II

nichts als ein faden
führt nach oben. wir geben
ihm fünf minuten.

Jan Wagner

from Achtzehn Pasteten. Gedichte (Berlin: Berlin Verlag, 2007)

Translated from the German by Iain Galbraith.

Reprinted by kind permission of the poet and translator.

Tags:

German poetry

Translations of this Poem

Teabag

I

draped only in a
sackcloth mantle. the little
hermit in his cave.

II

a single thread leads
to the upper world. we shall
give him five minutes.

Share this
Facebook
Twitter
Email

Learn more

Jan Wagnerb.1971

Born in Hamburg in 1971, Jan Wagner studied English in Hamburg, Dublin and Berlin, where he has lived since 1995. A poet, prolific translator of Anglo-American poetry and critic, he has received numerous awards for his poetry, including the...
More about Jan Wagner

Join

Become a Borrower or support our work by becoming a Friend of SPL.
Join us

Events

Discover poetry events at the Scottish Poetry Library and beyond.
Find forthcoming Events
  • Newsletter signup
  • Accessibility
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Scottish Poetry Library
5 Crichton's Close, Canongate
Edinburgh EH8 8DT
Tel: +44 (0)131 557 2876
© Scottish Poetry Library 2020.
The Scottish Poetry Library is a registered charity (No. SCO23311).
City of Edinburgh logo Green Arts Initiative logo Creative Scotland logo
By leaves we live