by
Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)
Konzert
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): ENG
Die Geigen schwirren hoch und weich,
Das Horn klagt aus der Tiefe her,
Die Damen glitzern bunt und reich
Und Lichtgefunkel drüber her.
Ich schließe meine Augen still:
Ich sehe einen Baum im Schnee,
Der steht allein, hat was er will,
Sein eigen Glück, sein eigen Weh.
Beklommen geh ich aus dem Saal
Und hinter mir der Lärm verklingt
Von halber Lust, von halber Qual --
Mir blieb er unbeschwingt.
Ich suche meinen Baum im Schnee,
Ich möchte haben, was er hat,
Mein eigen Glück, mein eigen Weh,
Das macht die Seele satt.
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 245.
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) , "Concert", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2014-06-05
Line count: 16
Word count: 92
Concert
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
The violins soar high and soft,
The horn laments from the low register,
The women glitter, colourful and rich,
And lights sparkle above it all.
I quietly close my eyes:
I see a tree in the snow,
It stands alone, it has what it desires,
Its own happiness, its own sorrow.
I leave the concert hall oppressed
And behind me the noise dies away,
Half of joy, and half of torment--
I was not exhilarated by it.
I seek my tree in the snow,
I wish to have what it has,
My own happiness, my own sorrow,
That is what satisfies the soul.
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), "Konzert", written 1919
This text was added to the website: 2014-06-05
Line count: 16
Word count: 103