There was still time, I could have left

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by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Es war noch Zeit; ich konnte gehn

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE

Es war noch Zeit; ich konnte gehn,
Und alles wäre ungeschehn,
Und alles wäre rein und klar,
Wie es vor jenem Tage war!

Es mußte sein. Die Stunde kam,
Die kurze, schwüle, und sie nahm
Unwandelbar mit jähem Schritt
Den ganzen Glanz der Jugend mit.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• G. Langenberg

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Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.

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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 81.

Text Authorship:

by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Die Stunde", written 1901 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]

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Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2009-05-06
Line count: 8
Word count: 46

There was still time, I could have left

NOTE: the footnotes have been removed from this text; return to general view

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

There was still time, I could have left,
And everything would never have happened,
And everything would be pure and clear
As it was before that day!

It had to be. The hour came,
The short, oppressive hour, and,
With precipitous steps, unalterably,
It took the whole radiance of youth with it.

About the headline (FAQ)

View text with all available footnotes

Translations of title(s):
"Es war noch Zeit; ich konnte gehn" = "There was still time, I could have left"
"Die Stunde" = "The hour"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2018 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 Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Die Stunde", written 1901
- Go to the text page.

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This text was added to the website: 2018-01-20
Line count: 8
Word count: 54