by
Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)
Heimweg vom Fest
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): ENG FRE
Wieder klirrt ein Fest in Scherben
Und ich taumle angstbeklommen
Über hartgefrorne Felder,
Fürchte, nimmer heimzukommen.
O du Trunkenheit der Schmerzen,
Wenn der Wonnekelch zerschlagen,
Lieber will ich dich im Herzen
Als so halbe Lust ertragen.
Nur das Böseste und Beste
Mag die arme Seele hegen,
Seien's Schmerzen, seien's Feste --
Denn sie glüht des Glühens wegen.
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
Confirmed with Hermann Hesse, Sämtliche Werke, herausgegeben von Volker Michels, Band 10 Die Gedichte, bearbeitet von Peter Huber, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2002, page 189.
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The way home after the celebration", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Retour à la maison après la fête", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2014-04-30
Line count: 12
Word count: 56
The way home after the celebration
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
Once more a celebration jangles into shards
And, fraught with fears, I stagger
Over hard-frozen fields,
Frightened that I might never reach home.
Oh you drunkenness of pain,
When the cup of bliss has been shattered,
Rather would I carry you in my bosom
Than endure such a half-hearted joy.
The poor soul wishes to cherish
Only the most evil and the best,
Be they agonies, be they celebrations --
For [the soul] glows for the sake of glowing.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 by Sharon Krebs, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Heimweg vom Fest", written 1913
This text was added to the website: 2014-04-30
Line count: 12
Word count: 78