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Aufschrei im Schlaf; durch schwarze Gassen stürzt der Wind, Das Blau des Frühlings winkt durch brechendes Geäst, Purpurner Nachttau und es erlöschen rings die Sterne. Grünlich dämmert der Fluß, silbern die alten Alleen Und die Türme der Stadt. O sanfte Trunkenheit Im gleitenden Kahn und die dunklen Rufe der Amsel In kindlichen Gärten. Schon lichtet sich der rosige Flor. Feierlich rauschen die Wasser. O die feuchten Schatten der Au, Das schreitende Tier; Grünendes, Blütengezweig Rührt die kristallene Stirne; schimmernder Schaukelkahn. Leise tönt die Sonne im Rosengewölk am Hügel. Groß ist die Stille des Tannenwalds, die ernsten Schatten am Fluß. Reinheit! Reinheit! Wo sind die furchtbaren Pfade des Todes, Des grauen steinernen Schweigens, die Felsen der Nacht Und die friedlosen Schatten? Strahlender Sonnenabgrund. Schwester, da ich dich fand an einsamer Lichtung Des Waldes und Mittag war und groß das Schweigen des Tiers; Weiße unter wilder Eiche, und es blühte silbern der Dorn. Gewaltiges Sterben und die singende Flamme im Herzen. Dunkler umfließen die Wasser die schönen Spiele der Fische. Stunde der Trauer, Schweigender Anblick der Sonne; Es ist die Seele ein Fremdes auf Erden. Geistlich dämmert Bläue über dem verhauenen Wald und es läutet Lange eine dunkle Glocke im Dorf; friedlich Geleit. Stille blüht die Myrthe über den weißen Lidern des Toten. Leise tönen die Wasser im sinkenden Nachmittag Und es grünet dunkler die Wildnis am Ufer, Freude im rosigen Wind; Der sanfte Gesang des Bruders am Abendhügel.
J. Stuten sets lines 1-13
Confirmed with Georg Trakl, Das dichterische Werk, München, 1972, page 72.
Authorship:
- by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), "Frühling der Seele", appears in Sebastian im Traum, in Gesang des Abgeschiedenen [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Jan Stuten (1890 - 1948), "Frühling der Seele", published 1936?, lines 1-13 [low voice and chamber orchestra or piano], from Die vier Jahreszeiten, no. 8. [text verified 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , title 1: "Primavera dell'anima", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , title 1: "Printemps de l'âme", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , title 1: "Spring of the Soul", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Harry Joelson
This text was added to the website: 2007-07-29
Line count: 28
Word count: 237
Screaming in sleep; through black alleys the wind hurls, the blue of spring beckons through breaking branches, purple dew of night and all around the stars go out. Greenishly the river’s dawning, silvern the old boulevards and city towers. O mellow drunkenness in the gliding boat and the dark calls of the blackbird in childhood’s gardens. Already the rosy gauze is lifting. Solemnly the waters murmur. O, the mead’s moist shadows, the striding beast; lush greening, flowering branches touch the crystal brow; shimmering, bobbing boat. Quietly the sun sounds in the rosy clouds above the hill. Grand is the fir wood’s stillness, the solemn shadows at the river. Purity! Purity! Where are the terrible paths of death, of grey and stony silence, the crags of night and the peaceless shadows? Radiant abyss of sun. Sister, when I found you in the lonely clearing of the forest, and it was midday and great the silence of the animal; white figure beneath a wild oak, and silvern bloomed the thorn. Mighty dying and a singing flame in the heart. Darker the waters flow round the graceful games of the fish. Hour of mourning, silent vision of the sun; the soul is a stranger on earth. Spiritually blueness dusks over the clearcut forest; and a dark bell tolls for long in the village; peaceful cortège. Silently the myrtle blooms over the white eyelids of the deceased. Quietly the waters sound in the sinking afternoon and the rank growth on the bank greens darker; joy in the wind; the brother's soft song by the evening hill.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 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 German (Deutsch) by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), "Frühling der Seele", appears in Sebastian im Traum, in Gesang des Abgeschiedenen
This text was added to the website: 2016-06-20
Line count: 28
Word count: 262