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Where dost thou stand behind them all, my lover, hiding thyself in the shadows? They push thee and pass thee by on the dusty road, taking thee for naught. I wait here weary hours spreading my offerings for thee, while passers-by come and take my flowers, one by one, and my basket is nearly empty. The morning time is past, and the noon. In the shade of evening my eyes are drowsy with sleep. Men going home glance at me and smile and fill me with shame. I sit like a beggar maid, drawing my skirt over my face, and when they ask me, what it is I want, I drop my eyes and answer them not. Oh, how, indeed, could I tell them that for thee I wait, and that thou hast promised to come. How could I utter for shame that I keep for my dowry this poverty. Ah, I hug this pride in the secret of my heart. I sit on the grass and gaze upon the sky and dream of the sudden splendour of thy coming - all the lights ablaze, golden pennons flying over thy car, and they at the roadside standing agape, when they see thee come down from thy seat to raise me from the dust, and set at thy side this ragged beggar girl a-tremble with shame and pride, like a creeper in a summer breeze. But time glides on and still no sound of the wheels of thy chariot. Many a procession passes by with noise and shouts and glamour of glory. Is it only thou who wouldst stand in the shadow silent and behind them all? And only I who would wait and weep and wear out my heart in vain longing?
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 41, first published 1912 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 41 [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-11-03
Line count: 37
Word count: 292
Wo stehst Du hinter all den andern, mein Geliebter, und hältst im Schatten dich verborgen? Sie rempeln dich und gehn an dir vorbei auf staub’ger Straße, so als wärst du nichts. Ermüdend sind die Stunden meines Wartens. Ich breite meine Opfergaben für dich aus, derweil die Leute im Vorübergehen meine Blumen nehmen, Blum’ um Blum, sodass mein Korb fast leer. Vorbei sind Morgen, Mittag. Im Abendschatten werden mir die Augen schwer. Die heimgehn, schaun mich flüchtig an; sie lächeln und erfüllen mich mit Scham. Ganz wie ein Bettelmädchen sitz’ ich hier, zieh das Gewand mir über das Gesicht. Und fragen sie mich, was mir fehlt, senk ich die Augen, bleibe still. O, w i e wohl könnt ich ihnen sagen, dass ich hier deiner harre, und dass du hast versprochen mir, zu kommen. Wie könnt in Scham ich sagen, dass diese meine Armut meine Mitgift ist. Stolz halt ich dies geheim in meinem Herzen. Ich sitz im Gras, schau unverwandt zum Himmel und träume, dass du plötzlich kommst in Herrlichkeit - in großem Leuchten, goldnen Schwingen über deinem Wagen, und die am Wegrand gaffend stehn, wenn sie dich niedersteigen sehn von deinem Sitz, vom Staube mich zu heben, und dir zur Seite setzest die zerlumpte Bettlerin, vor Scham und Stolz erzitternd wie die Rank’ im Sommerwind. Doch weiter rinnt die Zeit und immer noch kein Ton der Räder deines Wagens. Und mancher Zug zieht feierlich vorbei mit lautem Rufen, Glanz und Pracht. Bist du es nur, der schweigend stünd im Schatten hinter allen? Und ich nur, der da warten, weinen und vergeblich sehnend würd' sein Herz verzehr’n?
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2014 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann.  Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in English by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 41, first published 1912
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 41 [text unavailable]
This text was added to the website: 2014-05-18
Line count: 37
Word count: 267