Arno Holz:

Trostlos
rieselndes Tropfen

Draußen die Düne.

Einsam das Haus, eintönig,
ans Fenster,
der Regen.

Hinter mir,
ticktack,
eine Uhr,
meine Stirn
gegen die Scheibe.

Nichts.

Alles vorbei.

Grau der Himmel,
grau die See
und grau
das Herz.

Arno Holz:

Drearily
trickling drizzle

Outside the Dune.

Alone the house, monotonous,
onto the window,
the rain.

Behind me,
click, clack,
a clock,
my forehead
against the window.

Nothing.

Everything passed.

Gray the sky,
gray the sea,
and gray
the heart.

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Want to take up translating? Become a veritable traduttore/traditore?

Try the last stanza: Grau is gray; See is sea; Herz is heart and - back to back, clickadiclack, clickadiclack!

(Well, take that with a grain of salt: When it rains, it pours...)