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Über schiefen Kreuzen Efeuhang, Sanfte Sonne, Duft und Bienensang. Selig ihr, die ihr geborgen liegt, An der guten Erde Herz geschmiegt! Selig, die ihr sanft und namenlos, Heimgekehrte, ruht im Mutterschoß! Aber horch: aus Bienenflug und Blust Atmet Lebensgier und Daseinslust, Aus der Tiefe Wurzelträumen bricht Längst erloschener Wesen Drang ans Licht, Lebenstrümmer dunkel eingescharrt, Wandeln sich und heischen Gegenwart, Und die Erdenmutter königlich Rührt in drängenden Geburten sich. Nein, der Friedenshort im Grabesschacht Wiegt nicht schwerer als ein Traum der Nacht; Trüber Rauch nur ist der Traum vom Tod, Unter dem des Lebens Feuer loht.
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, pages 197-198.
Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Ländlicher Friedhof", written 1915 [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 Christian Immo Schneider (b. 1935), "Ländlicher Friedhof", op. 41 no. 1 [ high voice and piano ], from Wanderung - Eine Liederfolge für hohe Stimme nach Gedichten von Hermann Hesse, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Cementiri de poble", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Country cemetery", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-06-03
Line count: 18
Word count: 96
Above the crooked crosses, drapery of ivy, Gentle sunshine, scent, and the humming of bees. Blessed are you who lie in safety Snuggled up to the heart of the good earth! Blessed, you who softly and namelessly Rest in the mother’s womb, you who have returned home. But hearken: from out of the bees’ flight and the blossoms There breathes lust for life and the joy of existence, From the dreaming roots in the depths there breaks forth The urging toward light of long-extinguished beings. The rubble of life, darkly buried, Transforms itself and demands presence, And in a queenly manner Mother Earth Moves in urgent birthings. No, the peaceful refuge in the grave Does not weigh more heavily than a nighttime dream; The dream of death is only a dim smoke Beneath which there blazes the fire of life.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2019 by Sharon Krebs, (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), "Ländlicher Friedhof", written 1915
This text was added to the website: 2019-01-16
Line count: 18
Word count: 140