In einem welken Garten singt
Zum Brummbaß eine Violine,
Ein altes Paar im Takte springt
Und lächelt kühl mit müder Miene.
Und jeder weiß; der andere denkt,
Wie anders doch vor zwanzig Jahren,
Wie heiß und handinhandgedrängt
Dieselben alten Tänze waren.
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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 22.
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 Lothar Hundertmark (1902 - 1985), as Mark Lothar, "Gavotte", op. 67 no. 2, published 1967 [ voice and instrumental ensemble ], from Musik des Einsamen - Ein Liederzyklus für Gesang und 7 Instrumente, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Viktor Kioulaphides (b. 1961), "Gavotte" [ counter-tenor, guitar, and mandolin ], from Hesse Lieder, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Xaver Zintl (1903 - 1987), "Gavotte ", <<1950 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Gavotte", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Gavotte", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust
[Administrator] , Sharon Krebs
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2009-06-07
Line count: 8
Word count: 41
In a wilting garden sings
A violin to the accompaniment of a bourdon,
An old couple leaps about in the rhythm
And smiles coolly with weary mien.
And each knows; the other thinks,
How different indeed twenty years ago,
How fervent and hand-pressing-urgently-into-hand
The same old dances were.