Das Tal der Lieder und andere Schilderungen
Im Torfschiff.
Sengende Mittagsglut zittert auf den Dächern von Osterholz-Scharmbeck.
Alle Fenster sind geschlossen, daß die Hitze nicht hineindringt in die kleinen
Stuben, denen die Bäume vor den Türen Schatten geben und Kühlung. Sonntag
ist es. Ein paar Kinder spielen vor der Türe eines Hauses, sonst ist es still und
leer in der Straße. Und verstärkt wird die Stille durch das stille, braune Gesicht
des alten, baumlangen, weißbärtigen Fischers, der, ein Knie auf dem roten
Binsenstuhl, die Arme auf den Zaun gestützt, rauchend ins Leere sieht. Er wird
uns nach Worpswede fahren.
Im kleinen Hafen ist lautes Leben. Ein Dutzend nackte Jungen kauern da im
Sande und plätschern in dem braunen, lauwarmen Wasser. So satt und so gesund
sehen die braungebrannten Glieder aus im Sonnenlicht, goldbraun sich abhebend
von der dunklen Flut, die sie zerteilen.
Langsam und bedächtig macht unser Weißbart das schwarze Torfschiff los,
setzt den Mast ein und stakt mit dem langen, eisenbeschlagenen Ruder uns den
Kanal entlang, von dessen Ufern purpurner Weiderich uns nachnickt.
Ein weißer Falter begleitet uns ein Weilchen. Dann tanzt er über die niedrigen
Weidenbüsche auf die grüne Wiese, weiter, immer weiter, bis er den Augen
entschwindet, die hängen bleiben an der weiten grünen, von dunklen Wäldern
umrahmten Fläche, auf denen buntes Vieh weidet und über die die Schwalben
schießen.
Der Wind frischt auf. Wie wohl das tut bei dem Sonnenbrand! Unser Fischer
wischt mit der groben braunen Hand den Schweiß von dem braunen Gesicht und
atmet tief auf. Auch ihm bringt die Brise Erholung. Das Staken, das
schweißerpressende, es ist zu Ende. Das Segel los und hinaus aus dem engen
Kanal in die breite Hamme.
Von uns spricht niemand. Wir wollen nicht sprechen, sehen wollen wir, die
Augen baden in dem satten Grün unendlicher Wiesen, die Augen laben an der
braunen, blauschimmernden Flut, in der sich die weißen Wetterköpfe so seltsam
spiegeln, in die die Fische, vor Wähligkeit sich werfend, silberne Kreise ziehen,
und in der die starren, dunklen, merkwürdigen Binsen ihrem Spiegelbilde zunicken. Der Mummel hellgrüne breite Blätter liegen faul am Uferrand, ihre
goldgelbe Blume schwankt träumend hin und her in unseres Kahnes
Wellenschlag; trotzig reckt das Pfeilkraut seine Spieße, schläfrig rauschen die
Schilfrispen, die der Wind aus der Unterstunde jagte, und unwillig schüttelt die
Blumenbinse, die stolze, ihr rosiges Blütenhaupt.
Sprecht nicht, seht lieber! Seht dem Storch zu, der bedächtig über das Grün
wandelt, den Enten, die am Ufer schnabbeln, dem Silberflügelgeflimmer der
Wasserjungfern am Schilf, dem Tanz weißer Falter an roten Blumenkerzen, dem
Blitzen und Leuchten der Wellen am Bug.
Wie groß und anders alles aussieht gegen die ewige Ruhe des grünen Plans;
am Horizont die Bäume, so schwarz und schwer, jede Blume so leuchtend, jeder
taumelnde Kiebitz riesig, jede Krähe, die japsend auf dem Pfahle sitzt, ein
auffallender Fleck. Und dort unten, das Segel; riesenhaft hoch und breit und
düster macht es sich hier, wo alles so flach und so hell ist. Wie ein Rätsel mutet
es an, wie ein schwarzes Gespenst, das drohend und unheilsvoll uns näher rückt.
Der Angler am Ufer, halb vergraben im Grün, er unterbricht die Landschaft,
alles beherrschend, ein fester Punkt in dem fließenden Grün weit und breit.
Ein kalter Schatten fällt auf die warme Landschaft. Im Nu hat die schwarze
Wolke alles um uns in andere Töne getauscht. Das warme Hellgrün der Wiesen
hat sie kalt verdunkelt, das leuchtende Wasser getrübt. Aber da, wo ihre kalte
Macht aufhört, blitzt und gleißt die Flut in strahlendem Silberweiß, leuchtet grell
und heiß das Grün der Wiesen.
Grobe Stimmen weht der Wind heran. Stöhnend, jappend arbeitet sich ein
Schleppdampfer hinter uns her, einen Torfbock im Seil. Dann klatscht es gegen
unsern Kahn, lange Männer handhaben die langen Ruder, braune Gesichter
nicken uns zu.
Vor uns kräuselt sich die Flut. Dort zappelt auch das Schilf reger. Und jetzt
faßt auch uns der Wind fester in das schwarze Laken. Still war es um uns, als wir
losfuhren; laut wird es jetzt. Aber ein anderes Lied als im Walde singt hier der
Wind. Dieses Geruschel, dieses Getuschel der Binsen, das Flüstern des Schilfs,
das Rauschen des Röhrichts, das Kluckern des Wassers, ganz anders klingt es als
Fuhrengesumm, Buchengeflüster und Eichengemurre. Zu jedem Landschaftstext
spielt der Wind eine andere Melodie.
Torfschiffe segeln an uns vorüber. Ernste, glattbackige Männer sitzen am
Steuer, wortkarg und stumm. Ein Nicken, ein tiefer Zuruf ist ihr einziger Gruß.
Ein einziger von den vielen flötete vor sich hin. Aber er schämte sich, als er sich uns näherte, und lange hinter uns fing er erst wieder an zu pfeifen: »Ein armer
Fischer bin ich zwar …« Es war ein Junge von sechzehn Jahren. Die Männer
vom Teufelsmoor pfeifen nicht.
Die Segel, die so todesschwarz und so nachtdunkel sind, wenn sie uns
begegnen, sie glühen hinter uns auf wie rotes Gold, hinter uns, von der Sonne
durchschienen. Als ich es entdeckt hatte, sah ich jedem nach. Es war mir ganz
so, als wenn sie ein Lächeln überflog, die ernsten Segel, ganz dasselbe stille
Lächeln, das die ernsten Gesichter der Schiffer erhellte, wenn sie uns nachsahen.
Immer mehr Segel rauschen an uns vorbei, eins im Kielwasser des andern. Vor
uns lauter schwarze, hinter uns lauter rotdurchleuchtete, und jedem muß ich
entgegensehen, wenn es schwarz heraufkommt, jedem nachblicken, wenn
goldrot leuchtend es hinunterfährt.
Eine Stunde fahren wir schon. Näher kommt uns schon der Weyerberg mit
seinem dunklen Baumgrün und seinem hellen Dünengelb, mit seiner Mühle und
seiner Kirche und mit dem klobigen Malerhaus. Aber in der Nähe, da blitzen
silbern die Binsenstiele über der Flut, schwenkt der Kalmus seine gekräuselten
Blätter, schaukeln sich Mummelblätter und nicken rosige Dolden über weißen
Blumenrispen, zucken des Rohres Fahnen. Auf den Altwässern schnattern die
Enten zwischen den weißen Nixenblumen; über die Wiesen gaukeln die
Kiebitze, schweben die Sprähen, und eine silbergraue Seeschwalbe begleitet uns
ein Stück Weges, bis sie umkehrt und weiter reviert, immer auf und ab den Fluß.
Und immer Segel auf Segel, Grün an Grün, noch eine Stunde lang, und dann
ein Marsch durch Staub und Sand, und Rast unter den Linden Worpswedes, wo
es lebt und webt wie in der Stadt, von Wagen und Stadtmenschen.
Noch ein Stündchen Schlendern über dürre Dünen, Ausschau auf das
unendliche Moor, ausgestreckt im rosigen Heidkraut, umschwirrt von Libellen,
umgeigt von Heuschrecken, und dann den staubigen Weg hinunter, daß es hinter
uns mülmt, wie hinter Schäfer und Herde, zu unserm Torfschiff.
Und nun sprecht wieder nicht, bis wir an Land sind! Laßt den Kiebitz rufen
und die Möwe kreischen, bis sie alle übertönt des Reihers heiserer Schrei, der
breitflüglig in das Abendrot rudert.
In andere Töne kleiden sich jetzt Wasser und Wiesen, Weite und Nähe.
Gespenstiger noch sehen die schwarzen Segel vor uns aus, verlassener noch
klingt des Viehes Gebrüll.
So schwer, so satt, so fest ist die Landschaft, die so lustig war und so hell und so leicht in der Mittagsglut. So verstohlen klingt das Geplätscher der Wasser, so
heimlich das Flüstern des Schilfes. Unzerstörbare Ruhe, mächtiger Frieden
erfüllt das Land. Des Reihers Ruf, der Enten Schrei, auftauchend und verhallend,
verschärfen die Stille nur, und die hellen, nickenden Blumen am Ufer, viel
märchenhafter scheinen sie uns jetzt.
Nicht sprechen! Das paßt nicht zu dem Blaugrau des Himmels, zu den sanften
Gluten am Himmelsrande, zu der leisen Flut und der lauen Luft, zu dem
einsamen Abendstern vor uns, zu den goldüberschienenen Fluttümpeln, in denen
schwarz und starr die Binsen stehen, zu den Fledermäusen, die im Zickzack uns
umkreisen, zu den fernen, stillen Segeln, die immer mehr in die schwarze Nacht
hineinschwimmen, die uns immer näher rückt.
Schon hat sie am Himmelsrand die letzten Sonnenrosen gepflückt, schon die
dunklen Bäume verhüllt und die Wiesen verschleiert; sie wirft ihre Schatten
hinter uns auf die Flut, verdunkelt die Ufer und die Blumen und Büsche und
rückt dicht an unser Schiff heran.
Und so treiben wir dahin. Ein schwarzes Segel führt unser schwarzes Boot auf
schwarzer Flut zwischen schwarzen Wiesen. Und stumm und schweigend
schauen wir hinauf nach dem einen goldnen Stern.
Druck von Gebauer-Schwetschke G. m. b. H., Halle (Saale).
Weitere Anmerkungen zur Transkription
Korrekturen:
S. 24: Feistschneppe → Feistschnepfe
macht unterdes die Feistschnepfe hoch
S. 27: Herrgotsfrüh → Herrgottsfrüh
in aller Herrgottsfrüh auf dem Rade
S. 46: prühen → sprühen
Blüten und sprühen betäubenden Duft umher
S. 57: Möven → Möwen
dort unten, zwei Möwen, blitzen auf
S. 66: Olpumpen → Ölpumpen
die schwarzen Balken der Ölpumpen
S. 83: Möve → Möwe
Kiebitz rufen und die Möwe kreischen
Sie haben Das Tal der Lieder und andere Schilderungen zu Ende gelesen
Hermann Löns
Bücher wie dieses
-
Mein buntes Buch, Naturschilderungen
-
Kleine Dichtungen
-
Blut
-
Briefe Schillers und Goethes an A. W. Schlegel
-
Die Entstehung der Kontinente und Ozeane
-
Aufsätze
Nach dem Buch
Seiten, die zu dieser Ausgabe gehören, hier zum Nachschlagen.
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