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Dunkler Odem im grünen Gezweig. Blaue Blümchen umschweben das Antlitz Des Einsamen, den goldenen Schritt Ersterbend unter dem Ölbaum. Aufflattert mit trunknem Flügel die Nacht. So leise blutet Demut, Tau, der langsam tropft vom blühenden Dorn. Strahlender Arme Erbarmen Umfängt ein brechendes Herz.
Confirmed with Georg Trakl, Das dichterische Werk, München, 1972, page 74.
Text Authorship:
- by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), appears in Sebastian im Traum, in Gesang des Abgeschiedenen [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Cesar Bresgen (1913 - 1988), "Gesang einer gefangenen Amsel", 1980 [ high voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder für hoch Stimme und Klavier, nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Denise Isabelle Roger (1924 - 2005), "Gesang einer gefangenen Amsel", 1962, copyright © 1979, first performed 1979 [ medium voice and piano ], from Deux poèmes de Georg Trakl, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Anton von Webern (1883 - 1945), "Gesang einer gefangenen Amsel", op. 14 (Sechs Lieder nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl (Six songs on poems of Georg Trakl)) no. 6 (1919) [ voice, clarinet, violin, and cello ]
Score: IMSLP [external link] [sung text checked 1 time] - by Felix Wolfes (1892 - 1971), "Gesang einer gefangenen Amsel", 1965 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , "Song of a captive blackbird", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Chant d'un merle prisonnier", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Bertram Kottmann
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 9
Word count: 43
Dark breath in the green branches. Blue flowerets hover round the countenance of the forlorn one, the golden step dying under the olive tree. Night flutters up with a drunken wing. So softly humility bleeds, dew that slowly drips from the blossoming thorn. Mercy of radiant arms embraces a breaking heart.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 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 German (Deutsch) by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), appears in Sebastian im Traum, in Gesang des Abgeschiedenen
This text was added to the website: 2016-06-24
Line count: 9
Word count: 51