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Im letzten Abendlicht

Translations © by Bertram Kottmann

Song Cycle by Libby Larsen (b. 1950)

View original-language texts alone: By a departing light

1. Bind me ‑ I still can sing  [sung text not yet checked]
Language: English 
Bind me -- I still can sing
Banish -- my mandolin
Strikes true within --.

Slay -- and my Soul shall rise
Chanting to Paradise --
Still thine.

Text Authorship:

  • by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title, appears in Bolts of Melody

See other settings of this text.

by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)
1. Fessle mich - kann dennoch singen
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Fessle mich - kann dennoch singen -
weis’ mich ab - die Saiten klingen
doch treu in mir.

Töte mich - zum Paradies aufschwingen
wird meine Seele sich und singen -
noch immer dein.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from English to German (Deutsch) 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

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

Based on:

  • a text in English by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title, appears in Bolts of Melody
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2016-03-01
Line count: 6
Word count: 29

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
2. In this short Life  [sung text not yet checked]
Language: English 
In this short Life
That only lasts an hour
How much -- how little -- is
Within our power

Text Authorship:

  • by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)

Go to the general single-text view

by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)
2. Nur eine Stund
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Nur eine Stund
hat dieses kurze Sein Bestand -
wie viel, wie wenig liegt davon 
in unsrer Hand.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from English to German (Deutsch) 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

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

Based on:

  • a text in English by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2016-03-01
Line count: 4
Word count: 17

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
3. By a departing light  [sung text not yet checked]
Language: English 
By a departing light
we see acuter, quite,
than by a wick that stays.
There's something in the flight
that clarifies the sight
and decks the rays.

Text Authorship:

  • by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)

Go to the general single-text view

by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)
3. Im letzten Abendlicht
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Im letzten Abendlicht
wird deutlicher die Sicht
als im beständ'gen Schein.
Bewirkt sein Schwinden nicht,
dass klarer alles spricht,
geschmückt und rein?

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2007 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 English by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2007-09-21
Line count: 6
Word count: 22

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
4. Adrift! A little boat adrift!  [sung text not yet checked]
Language: English 
Adrift! A little boat adrift!
  And night is coming down!
Will no one guide a little boat
  Unto the nearest town?

So Sailors say -- on yesterday--
  Just as the dusk was brown
One little boat gave up its strife
  And gurgled down and down.

So angels say -- on yesterday --
  Just as the dawn was red
One little boat -- o'erspent with gales --
Retrimmed its masts -- redecked its sails --
  [Exultant, onward sped!]1

Text Authorship:

  • by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title, written c1858

See other settings of this text.

View original text (without footnotes)
1 another version of Dickinson: "And shot -- exultant on!"

by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)
4. Es treibt umher! Ein kleines Boot!
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Es treibt umher! Ein kleines Boot!
Rasch rückt die Nacht heran!
Und niemand, der das kleine Boot
zum Hafen lotsen kann?

So sprachen Seeleut’ über gestern:
Als braun die Nacht begann -
ein kleines Boot den Kampf aufgab
und gurgelnd sank und sank.

So sprachen Engel über gestern:
Als rot der Tag begann -
ein kleines Boot, vom Sturm erschöpft,
aufs Neue Mast und Segel richt’
frohlockend eilt hinan.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from English to German (Deutsch) 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

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

Based on:

  • a text in English by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title, written c1858
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2016-03-01
Line count: 13
Word count: 67

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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