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Is it beyond thee to be glad with the gladness of this rhythm? To be tossed and lost and broken in the whirl of this fearful joy? All things rush on, they stop not, they look not behind, no power can hold them back, they rush on. Keeping steps with that restless, rapid music, seasons come dancing and pass away - colours, tunes, and perfumes pour in endless cascades in the abounding joy that scatters and gives up and dies every moment.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 70, 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. 70 [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 Josef Alexander (1907 - 1992), "Is it beyond thee", 1973 [ soprano, harpsichord, and percussion ], from Gitanjali, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Albert Biales (1929 - 2012), "To be glad with the gladness of this rhythm", 1982, first performed 1982 [ soprano and orchestra or piano ], from When the Creation Was New, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wally Kleucker , "Seasons come dancing", 200? [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Fitz Rogers (b. 1963), "Is it beyond thee to be glad", 2008 [ soprano and piano ], from Songs of Time and Tide, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , 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: 9
Word count: 81
Kannst du selbst fröhlich sein bei diesem Rhythmus voller Fröhlichkeit? Im Strudel dieser bangen Freud’ verloren und zerschellt? Alles stürmt weiter, nichts verweilt, hält Rückschau, und keine Macht vermag es aufzuhalten in seinem Vorwärtsdrang. Mit dieser steten, treibenden Musik des Lebens Schritt zu halten, erscheint im Wirbeltanze jede Jahreszeit aufs Neu und geht - und endlos strömen Farben, Töne, Wohlgerüche ein in diese überreiche Freude, die sich in jedem Augenblick verströmt, dahingibt und erlischt.
About the headline (FAQ)
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. 70, first published 1912
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 70 [text unavailable]
This text was added to the website: 2014-07-02
Line count: 9
Word count: 73