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Vergängliche Weisen

Translations © by Bertram Kottmann

Song Cycle by Samuel Barber (1910 - 1981)

View original-language texts alone: Mélodies passagères

1. Puisque tout passe
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Puisque tout passe, faisons
la mélodie passagère ;
celle qui nous désaltère,
aura de nous raison.

Chantons ce qui nous quitte
avec amour et art ;
soyons plus vite
que le rapide départ.

Text Authorship:

  • by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, written c1924, appears in Poèmes français, in 1. Vergers, no. 36, first published 1926

See other settings of this text.

by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
1.
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Da alles doch verfliegt, lasst uns
die flücht’ge Melodie erschaffen:
die uns erfrischt,
wird uns gewinnen.

Singen wir dem Vergänglichen
mit Liebe und mit Kunst;
seien wir schneller,
schneller als der Tod.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2011 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

    If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in French (Français) by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, written c1924, appears in Poèmes français, in 1. Vergers, no. 36, first published 1926
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

Obstgärten no. 36

Note: modified 2015-07-15.



This text was added to the website: 2011-01-06
Line count: 8
Word count: 32

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
2. Un cygne
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Un cygne avance sur l'eau 
tout entouré de lui-même, 
comme un glissant tableau;
ainsi à certains instants
un être que l'on aime 
est tout un espace mouvant.

Il se rapproche, doublé, 
comme ce cygne qui nage,
sur notre âme troublée...
qui à cet être ajoute 
la tremblante image
de bonheur et de doute.

Text Authorship:

  • by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, written 1924, appears in Poèmes français, in 1. Vergers, no. 40

See other settings of this text.

by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
2. Ein Schwan
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Ein Schwan zieht auf dem Wasser seine Bahn,
ganz von sich selbst umrahmt, 
gleich einem gleitenden Gemälde;
so zeigt sich - zu gewissen Augenblicken -
ein Wesen, das man liebt, 
wie ein bewegter Raum.

Es nähert sich, gedoppelt 
wie der Schwan,
unserer betrübten Seele ...,
die auf dies' Wesen 
dann das zitternd' Bild
des Glückes und des Zweifels wirft.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2005 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

    If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in French (Français) by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, written 1924, appears in Poèmes français, in 1. Vergers, no. 40
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

Translation of title "Un cygne" = "Ein Schwan"

Note: last modified 2015-07-15.



This text was added to the website: 2006-01-11
Line count: 12
Word count: 57

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
3. Tombeau dans un parc
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Dors au fond de l'allée,
tendre enfant, sous la dalle,
on fera le chant de l'été
autour de ton intervalle.

Si une blanche colombe
passait au vol là-haut,
je n'offrirais à ton tombeau
que son ombre qui tombe.

Text Authorship:

  • by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Tombeau", subtitle: "(dans un parc)", appears in Poèmes français, in 7. Poèmes épars

See other settings of this text.

by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
3. Ruhestatt in einem Park
Language: German (Deutsch) 
    (in einem Park)
Ruh' am Ende des Weges,
zartes Kind, unter dem Stein,
des Sommers Lied wird dir gesungen,
solange du dort schläfst.

Zög' eine weiße Taube
in hohem Flug darüber,
nur ihren Schatten legte ich
auf deinem Grabe nieder.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2011 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

    If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in French (Français) by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Tombeau", subtitle: "(dans un parc)", appears in Poèmes français, in 7. Poèmes épars
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2011-05-22
Line count: 9
Word count: 40

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
4. Le clocher chante
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Mieux qu'une tour profane,
je me chauffe pour mûrir mon carillon.
Qu'il soit doux, qu'il soit bon
aux Valaisannes.

Chaque dimanche, ton par ton,
je leur jette ma manne;
qu'il soit bon, mon carillon,
aux Valaisannes.

Qu'il soit doux, qu'il soit bon;
samedi soir dans les channes
tombe en gouttes mon carillon
aux Valaisans des Valaisannes.

Text Authorship:

  • by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Poèmes français, in 2. Les Quatrains Valaisans, no. 12

See other settings of this text.

by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
4. Der Kirchturm singt
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Besser als ein Turm mit Zinnen
bereite ich mein Glockenspiel.
Es töne schön, klinge grazil
allen Waliserinnen.

Sonn- um Sonntag, Ton für Ton
mit meinem feinen Carillon,
gilt es, der Waliserinnen
Ohren zu gewinnen.

Es töne schön, klinge grazil;
Samstagabends tropft mein Spiel
dem Manne der Waliserin
in den Krug aus Zinn.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2015 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

    If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in French (Français) by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Poèmes français, in 2. Les Quatrains Valaisans, no. 12
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2015-06-28
Line count: 12
Word count: 52

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
5. Départ
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Mon amie, il faut que je parte.
Voulez-vous voir
l'endroit sur la carte?
C'est un point noir.
En moi, si la chose
bien me réussit, ce sera
un point rose 
dans un vert pays.

Text Authorship:

  • by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), from Poèmes français.

Go to the general single-text view

by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
5. Abreise
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Mein Liebling, ich muss geh'n.
Willst du ihn auf der Karte sehn
meinen Bestimmungsort?
Das schwarze Pünktchen dort!
Es wird in mir,
bring ich's zustand,
rosene Zier
in grünem Land.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2015 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

    If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in French (Français) by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), from Poèmes français.
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2015-06-28
Line count: 8
Word count: 30

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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