by
Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)
Es liegt die Welt in Scherben
Language: German (Deutsch)
Our translations: CAT ENG
Es liegt die Welt in Scherben,
Einst liebten wir sie sehr,
Nun hat für uns das Sterben
Nicht viele Schrecken mehr.
Man soll die Welt nicht schmähen,
Sie ist so bunt und wild,
Uralte Zauber wehen
Noch immer um ihr Bild.
Wir wollen dankbar scheiden
Aus ihrem großen Spiel;
Sie gab uns Lust und Leiden,
Sie gab uns Liebe viel.
Leb wohl, Frau Welt, und schmücke
Dich wieder jung und glatt,
Wir sind von deinem Glücke
Und deinem Jammer satt.
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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 372.
Text Authorship:
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Research team for this page: Emily Ezust
[Administrator] , Sharon Krebs
[Senior Associate Editor]This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 81
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
The world lies shattered,
We once loved her very much,
Now her dying no longer
Elicits much dread in us.
One should not revile the world,
She is so colourful and wild,
Ancient charms still waft
About her image.
Let us in gratitude depart
From her great game;
She gave us joy and sorrows,
She gave us much love.
Farewell, Madame World, and adorn
Yourself anew, young and unwrinkled,
We have had enough of your
Happiness and of your misery.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with all available footnotes
Translations of title(s):
"Leb wohl, Frau Welt" = "Farewell, Madame World"
"Nun liegt die Welt in Scherben" = "Now the world lies shattered"
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), "Leb wohl, Frau Welt", written 1944
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This text was added to the website: 2018-05-15
Line count: 16
Word count: 81
