Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine Question for a fluent German speaker

I have a question for someone who speaks German fluently (to the level where you can discern the implication of a sentence as opposed to just the translation).

There's a poem I heard recently that I really liked called, "Everything Changes," but I suspect in the English version I heard, a particular word might have been translated out of context. The poem, in German, reads:


Alles wandelt sich. Neu beginnen
Kannst du mit dem letzten Atemzug.
Aber was geschehen, ist geschehen. Und das Wasser
Das du in den Wein gossest, kannst du
Nicht mehr herausschütten.
Was geschehen, ist geschehen. Das Wasser
Das du in den Wein gossest, kannst du
Nicht mehr herausschütten, aber
Alles wandelt sich. Neu beginnen
Kannst du mit dem letzten Atemzug.



My question is this:

In the above context, does the phrase "letzten Atemzug" - translated in the version I heard as "last breath" - actually imply "latest" breath... as in "most recent"... as opposed to simply "last," as in "final"?

I've seen it translated both ways online, so I think I'm not the only one who's had this confusion. I suspect it's supposed to be the former, as it gives it a much more hopeful sentiment as opposed to just a fatalistic one that the latter implies... but I'd really like to know for certain.

Anyone?

Exnihil, Do you mind if I post this on Facebook? More people seeing it might give you an answer.

Yeah, absolutely... have at it if you know a "Deutsche Sprecher".

I actually know a couple German folks, as well, but the problem is that their command of English actually isn't good enough to give a satisfactory answer.

I'm not sure anyone I know knows German, but it won't hurt to try.

If need be, I know at least one American who works in Germany, and at least one German who works in America, so I would assume one of them could answer it.

My suspicion is that the ambiguity is probably just there in the German (as it would be in English), so it probably comes down interpretation of the poem.

Well, my niece wrote to me that she has a friend who lives in Germany (and is a poet) and she will forward the question to him