Forget-me-not | Forget-me-nots in an arsenal

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by Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel (1863 - 1920)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Vergißmeinnicht in einer Waffenschmiede

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Vergißmeinnicht in einer Waffenschmiede --
was haben die hier zu tun?
Sollte heimlich der Friede
hinterm Hause am Bache ruhn?
 
Laut hallen die Hämmer in hartem Takt:
Angepackt, angepackt,
die Arbeit muß zu Ende!
Und das Eisen glüht, und das Wasser zischt;
und wenn der Schwalch die Flamme auffrischt,
glänzen die schwarzen Hände.
 
Aber manchmal blickt ein rußig Gesicht
still nach dem himmelblau blühenden Strauß.
Dann scheints, eine Stimme singt hinterm Haus:
vergiß mein nicht!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• R. Rössler

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Confirmed with: Richard Dehmel Gesammelte Werk in drei Bänden, Erster Band, Berlin: S. Fischer Verlag, 1913, pages 142-143.

Text Authorship:

by Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel (1863 - 1920), "Vergißmeinnicht" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

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Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2015-04-09
Line count: 14
Word count: 75

Forget‑me‑not

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Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Forget-me-nots in an arsenal --
what are they doing here?
Should peace secretly dwell
behind the building at the brook?
 
Loudly ring the hammers in a hard rhythm:
Fall to, fall to,
the work must be completed!
And the iron glows, and the water hisses;
and when the smoke stirs up the flame,
the black hands of the workers shine.
 
But sometimes a sooty face gazes
quietly toward the heavenly blue, blooming bouquet.
Then it seems as if a voice is singing behind the building:
forget me not!

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Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2015 by Sharon Krebs, (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 Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel (1863 - 1920), "Vergißmeinnicht"
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This text was added to the website: 2015-04-09
Line count: 14
Word count: 88