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Ich hatte dir ein Lied gespielt. Du schwiegest. Deine Rechte hielt Mit lassen Fingern eine große, Blutrote, reife Purpurrose. Und über uns mit fremder Pracht Stieg auf die milde Sommernacht, In wunderbarem Glanz erschlossen, Die erste Nacht, die wir genossen. Stieg auf und bog den dunklen Arm Um uns, und war so laß und warm. Du streiftest still von deinem Schoße Die Blätter einer Purpurrose.
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada and the U.S., 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 59.
Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Purpurrose", written 1899, appears in Neue deutsche Lyriker III , in Buch der Liebe, first published 1919 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Oskar Baumann , "Purpurrose", op. 308 (Hermann Hesse-Lieder, 2. Folge) no. 1 (1947) [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Friedrich Scholz (b. 1926), "Purpurrose" [ voice and piano ], from Acht Liedvertonungen nach Gedichten von Rose Ausländer, Mascha Kaléko und Herrmann Hesse, no. 8 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Rosa porpra", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Crimson rose", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Rose pourpre", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-04-29
Line count: 12
Word count: 65
Je t'avais joué une chanson. Tu te taisais. Ta main droite Tenait entre ses doigts lassés une grande rose Rouge sang, épanouie, pourpre. Et sur nous, avec une étrange splendeur, Se leva la douce nuit d'été, Exaltée par un éclat magnifique, La première nuit dont nous avons joui. Elle se leva et courba son sombre bras Autour de nous, et elle était si lasse et chaude. En silence tu effleuras de ton sein Les pétales d'une rose pourpre.
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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Purpurrose", written 1899, appears in Neue deutsche Lyriker III , in Buch der Liebe, first published 1919
This text was added to the website: 2017-04-26
Line count: 12
Word count: 78