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Here is thy footstool and there rest thy feet where live the poorest, and lowliest, and lost. When I try to bow to thee, my obeisance cannot reach down to the depth where thy feet rest among the poorest, and lowliest, and lost. Pride can never approach to where thou walkest in the clothes of the humble among the poorest, and lowliest, and lost. My heart can never find its way to where thou keepest company with the companionless among the poorest, the lowliest, and the lost.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 10, first published 1912 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 10, first published 1912 [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Paul Creston, born Giuseppe Guttoveggio (1906 - 1985), "Here is thy footstool", op. 11 no. 2 (1945) [ mixed chorus a cappella ], from Three Chorales from Tagore, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Swedish (Svenska), a translation by Andrea Butenschön (1866 - 1948) , first published 1915 ; composed by Edvin Kallstenius.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Voici ton repose-pied et là repose ton pied", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Demut", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-11-03
Line count: 16
Word count: 87
Dort findet sich Dein Schemel, dort ruhen Deine Füße, dort, wo die Ärmsten, die Geringsten und Verlornen sind. Such’ ich zu beugen mich vor Dir, nicht tief genug kann die Verbeugung sein, der Tiefe zu begegnen, wo Deine Füße ruhn, dort unter den Verlorenen, Geringsten, Ärmsten. Dem Stolz verwehrt ist jener Ort, dort, wo Du wandelst in des Knechts Gewand unter Geringsten, Ärmsten und Verlorenen. Nie wird mein Herz zurecht sich finden, dort, wo Du gehst mit jenen, die ohn’ Gefährte sind unter Geringsten, Ärmsten und Verlorenen.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2014 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
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Based on:
- a text in English by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 10, first published 1912
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 10, first published 1912 [text unavailable]
This text was added to the website: 2014-03-31
Line count: 16
Word count: 87