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On the slope of the desolate river among tall grasses I asked her, 'Maiden, where do you go shading your lamp with your mantle? My house is all dark and lonesome - lend me your light!' She raised her dark eyes for a moment and looked at my face through the dusk. 'I have come to the river,' she said, 'to float my lamp on the stream when the daylight wanes in the west.' I stood alone among tall grasses and watched the timid flame of her lamp uselessly drifting in the tide. In the silence of gathering night I asked her, 'Maiden, your lights are all lit - then where do you go with your lamp? My house is all dark and lonesome - lend me your light.' She raised her dark eyes on my face and stood for a moment doubtful. 'I have come,' she said at last, 'To dedicate my lamp to the sky.' I stood and watched her light uselessly burning in the void. In the moonless gloom of midnight I ask her, 'Maiden, what is your quest, holding the lamp near your heart? My house is all dark and lonesome -- lend me your light.' She stopped for a minute and thought and gazed at my face in the dark. 'I have brought my light,' she said, 'To join the carnival of lamps.' I stood and watched her little lamp uselessly lost among lights.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 64, 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. 64 [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: 36
Word count: 238
Am Hang des traur’gen Stroms im hohem Grase fragt’ ich sie: „ Mädchen, wo gehst du hin und schirmst mit deinem Umhang deine Lampe? Mein Haus ist dunkel, steht verlassen, - leih mir doch dein Licht!“ Im Dämmerlicht schaut sie mich kurz aus dunklen Augen an. „Ich bin gekommen“ sagte sie, „mein Licht auf diesen Strom zu setzen, jetzt, wenn des Tages letztes Licht im Westen weicht.“ Da stand ich nun allein im hohen Gras und sah das zage Licht der Lampe nutzlos treiben hin im Strom. Die Nacht zog auf und in der tiefen Stille fragt’ ich sie: „Mädchen, all deine Lichter brennen - wo gehst du denn mit deiner Lampe hin? Mein Haus ist dunkel, steht verlassen, - leih mir doch dein Licht!“ Sie schaute mich aus dunklen Augen an und sprach nach kurzem Zweifel: „Ich kam hierher, dem Himmel meine Lampe ganz zu weihn.“ Da stand ich nun und sah, wie sich ihr Licht nutzlos verzehrt’ im Nichts. In mondlos mitternächt’gem Dunkel frag ich sie: „Mädchen, was mühst du dich und birgst die Lampe nah am Herz?“ Mein Haus ist dunkel, steht verlassen, - leih mir doch dein Licht!“ Da hielt sie länger inne, dachte nach und blickte mich im Dunkel an: „Ich hab mein Licht hierher gebracht,“ sprach sie, „am Festumzug der Lichter teilzunehmen.“ Da stand ich nun und sah ihr kleines Licht nutzlos verloren unter all den andern.
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
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Based on:
- a text in English by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 64, first published 1912
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 64 [text unavailable]
This text was added to the website: 2014-07-02
Line count: 36
Word count: 233