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It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

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by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)
Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Eleanor
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG FRE
Herbstabende erinnern mich an dich --
Die Wälder liegen schwarz, der Tag verblich
Am Hügelrand in roten Gloriolen.
In einem nahen Hofe weint ein Kind;
Mit späten Schritten geht durchs Holz der Wind,
Die letzten Blaetter einzuholen.

Dann steigt, des trüben Anblicks lang gewohnt,
Einsam empor der ernste Sichelmond
Mit halbem Licht aus unbekannten Ländern.
Er wandelt kühl gleichgültig seinen Weg,
Sein Licht umgibt Wald, Röhricht, Teich und Steg
Mit melancholisch blassen Rändern.

Auch Winters, wenn die Nächte lichtlos sind
Und Flockenspiel und ungestümer Wind
Ums Fenster geht, glaub ich dich oft zu schauen.
Der Flügel tönt, mit lächelnder Gewalt
Spricht mir ans Herz dein tiefer, dunkler Alt,
Grausamste aller schönen Frauen.

Dann greift zur Lampe manchmal meine Hand.
Ihr mildes Licht fällt auf die breite Wand,
Dein dunkles Bild schaut aus dem alten Rahmen
Und kennt mich wohl und lächelt sonderbar.
Ich aber küsse Hände dir und Haar
Und nenne flüsternd deinen Namen.

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.

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 25.


Text Authorship:

  • by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Eleanor", written 1898 [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 Christian Immo Schneider (b. 1935), "Eleanor", op. 7 no. 4 [ high voice and piano ], from Zehn romantische Lieder für mittlere Stimme nach Gedichten von Hermann Hesse, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Elionor", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Eleanor", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Eleanor", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2014-07-23
Line count: 24
Word count: 153

Eleanor
Language: French (Français)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Les soirs d'automne te rappellent à moi –
Les forêts sont noires, le jour délavé,
À la lisière d'un coteau nimbé de rouge,
Un enfant pleure dans une cour voisine ;
D'un pas traînant le vent traverse le bois,
Allant ramasser les dernières feuilles.

Puis, déjà habitué à ce trouble spectacle
Monte solitaire le grave croissant de lune,
Dans un demi-jour venu de pays inconnus.
Il parcourt son chemin, froid et indifférent,
Et sa lumière entoure forêts, roselières, étangs et ponts
De lisières pâles et mélancoliques.

En hiver aussi, lorsque les nuits sont noires
Et que le jeu des flocons et le vent impétueux
Contournent la fenêtre, je crois souvent te voir.
On entend le piano, avec une souriante puissance
Ta voix profonde et sombre d'alto parle à mon cœur,
Toi, la plus cruelle de toutes les belles femmes.

Puis parfois ma main saisit la lampe.
Sa douce lumière tombe sur les larges murs,
Depuis le vieil encadrement ton image sombre me regarde,
Me reconnaît bien et sourit étrangement.
Mais moi je t'embrasse les mains et les cheveux
Et dit ton nom à voix basse.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2017 by Pierre Mathé, (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.
    Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Eleanor", written 1898
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2017-01-22
Line count: 24
Word count: 184

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