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O hast du dies gewollt, du hättest nicht durch eines Weibes Leib entspringen dürfen: Heilande muß man in den Bergen schürfen, wo man das Harte aus dem Harten bricht. Tut dirs nicht selber leid, dein liebes Tal so zu verwüsten? Siehe meine Schwäche; ich habe nichts als Milch- und Tränenbäche, und du warst immer in der Überzahl. Mit solchem Aufwand wardst du mir verheißen. Was tratst du nicht gleich wild aus mir hinaus? Wenn du nur Tiger brauchst, dich zu zerreißen, warum erzog man mich im Frauenhaus, ein weiches reines Kleid für dich zu weben, darin nicht einmal die geringste Spur von Naht dich drückt -: so war mein ganzes Leben, und jetzt verkehrst du plötzlich die Natur.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Vor der Passion", appears in Das Marien-Leben, no. 10, first published 1912 [author's text not yet checked 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 Maria Bach (1896 - 1978), "Vor der Passion", 1950-65 [ soprano and piano ], from Das Marienleben, no. 4, Wiener Stadt- und Landesbibliothek [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Hindemith (1895 - 1963), "Vor der Passion", op. 27 no. 10 (1922-3), rev. 1948, from Das Marienleben, no. 10 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Siegfried Garibaldi Kallenberg (1867 - 1944), "Vor der Passion", 1926 [ alto, 2 violins, viola, violoncello and double bass ], from 6 Gesänge aus dem Marienleben von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Fritz Lubrich, Jr. (1888 - 1971), "Vor der Passion", 1929 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Thomas Sleeper (1956 - 2022), "Before the Passion", 1986 [ voice and violin ], from Triptych, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Josep Soler i Sardà (1935 - 2022), "Vor der Passion", 1959 [ soprano and piano or instrumental ensemble ], from Das Marienleben, no. 3, revised 1979 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Knut W. Barde) , "Before the Passion", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , "Avant la Passion", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Prima della passione", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 118
If you really wanted this, then You shouldn't have been allowed to emerge from a woman's body: Saviors must be mined in the mountains, Where hard is hewn from hardness. Aren't you sorry, to have laid waste to your lovely valley? Look at my weakness, I only have streams of milk and tears, And you were always more than I. You were announced to me with such extravagance. Why didn't you just step out of me wild? If all you need is tigers to tear you up, Why was I raised with the women folk, To weave a soft and fine garb for you, So that not even the trace of a seam would bother you: that was my entire life, and now you suddenly turn nature on its head.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Knut W. Barde, (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 Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Vor der Passion", appears in Das Marien-Leben, no. 10, first published 1912
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 131