by
Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914)
Amen
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): ENG FRE
Verwestes gleitend durch die morsche Stube;
Schatten an gelben Tapeten; in dunklen Spiegeln wölbt
Sich unserer Hände elfenbeinerne Traurigkeit.
Braune Perlen rinnen durch die erstorbenen Finger.
In der Stille
Tun sich eines Engels blaue Mohnaugen auf.
Blau ist auch der Abend;
Die Stunde unseres Absterbens, Azraels Schatten,
Der ein braunes Gärtchen verdunkelt.
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Oliver Knussen, CBE (1952 - 2018), "Amen", op. 9 no. 3 (1972) [soprano, clarinet in Bb, viola, and piano], from Rosenkranz Lieder, no. 3, London, Faber [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , "Amen", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Amen", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2013-11-21
Line count: 9
Word count: 52
Amen
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
Decayed gliding through the derelict room;
shadows on yellow wallpapers; in dark mirrors
the ivory sadness of our hands arches.
Brown beads run through the withered fingers.
In the stillness
the blue poppy-eyes of an angel open.
Blue the evening, too;
the hour of our dying, Azrael's shadow,
that darkens a brown, little garden.
Authorship:
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2017-09-07
Line count: 9
Word count: 54