What is written on the wall in this scene of The Danish Girl?

What is written on the wall in this scene of The Danish Girl? - Woods Covered With Snow

I am from India and curious to know what is written on the wall. I am not familiar with these fonts and this language.

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Best Answer

It's German, written in Fraktur.

The two bottom lines are a part of one of Jal?l ad-D?n Muhammad R?m?'s (known as Rumi) ghazals translated by Friedrich Rückert. The full text of this poem is

Rein gehalten dein Gewand, Rein gehalten Mund und Hand.

Rein das Kleid von Erdenputz, Rein von Erdenschmutz die Hand.

Rein von Erdentrutz das Herz, Und von Gier der Lippe Rand.

Außen sei die Schwelle rein, Innen rein des Hauses Wand;

Daß einsprechen könn' im Haus Reiner Gast aus Himmelsland.

Reiner Schmaus und reiner Kelch, Rein von Rauch des Herdes Brand.

Sohn! die äußre Reinigkeit Ist der innern Unterpfand.

Rein gehalten Hand und Mund! Rein gehalten dein Gewand.

I coudn't find the English translation. An automatic translation with a tiny bit of editing is as follows:

Keep your robe clean, keep your mouth and hand clean.

Pure the dress of earth plaster, pure from earth dirt the hand.

Pure of earth tripping the heart, And of greed the lip edge.

Outside, be the threshold pure, inside be pure the house wall;

That could speak in the house. Pure guest from heavenland.

Pure Meals and pure goblet, pure from smoke of the stove fire.

Son! the external purity is the internal pledge.

Keep your mouth and hand clean, keep your robe clean.


The two upper lines (thanks to MissMonicaE, I didn't even realize they are not from the poem) are "Operation ist Technik, Anzeigestellung ist Wissenschaft" - "(Surgery) Operation is technique/craftmanship. Making decision about the necessity of operation is a science". Interestingly, Google auto-fills this phrase but there is only one page with exactly this text - lectures or correspondence of the German gynecological society published in 1908.




Pictures about "What is written on the wall in this scene of The Danish Girl?"

What is written on the wall in this scene of The Danish Girl? - Brown and White Concrete Building
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What is written on the wall in this scene of The Danish Girl? - Sign with house number on wall



What is the story behind the Danish Girl?

A fictitious love story loosely inspired by the lives of Danish artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili and Gerda's marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili's groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.

Where was the Danish Girl shot?

Filming began in February 2015, and also took place at Nyhavn, where the iconic waterfront was transformed to look like Copenhagen in the 1930s. Sets for the Danish and Paris flats were built in the Elstree Studios near London and additional shooting took place in Copenhagen and Brussels.

Is the Danish girl worth watching?

"The Danish Girl" is a beautiful package that came with plenty of anticipation. It is the story of a pioneer, an opportunity to showcase the talents of two talented performers, and had it been in the hands of a more capable team, it would have reached heights that very special films are able to attain.



The Danish Girl - A Complex Surgery Scene (9/10) | Movieclips




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Mikhail Nilov, Markus Spiske, NOHK, Laker