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Die Zeit der vielen Falter ist gekommen, Im späten Phloxduft taumelt sacht ihr Tanz. Sie kommen schweigend aus dem Blau geschwommen, Der Admiral, der Fuchs, der Schwalbenschwanz, Der Kaisermantel und Perlmutterfalter, Der scheue Taubenschwanz, der rote Bär, Der Trauermantel und der Distelfalter. Kostbar an Farben, Pelz- und samtbesetzt, Juwelenschillernd schweben sie einher, Prächtig und traurig, schweigsam und benommen, Aus untergegangner Märchenwelt gekommen, Fremdlinge hier, noch honigtaubenetzt Aus paradiesischen, arkadischen Auen, Kurzlebige Gäste aus dem Morgenland, Das wir im Traum, verlorene Heimat, schauen Und dessen Geisterbotschaft wir vertrauen Als eines edleren Daseins holden Pfand. Sinnbilder alles Schönen und Vergänglichen, Des Allzuzarten und des Überschwenglichen, Schwermütige und goldgeschmückte Gäste An des betagten sommerkönigs Feste!
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 322-323.
Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Schmetterlinge im Spätsommer", written 1933 [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 Julius Klaas (1888 - 1965), "Schmetterlinge im Spätsommer", op. 5 no. 3, published 1939 [ high voice and piano ], from Fünf Lieder nach Dichtungen von Hermann Hesse, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Papallones a les darreries de l’estiu", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Butterflies in late summer", copyright © 2018, (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: 2009-05-16
Line count: 21
Word count: 112
El temps de la bandada de papallones ha arribat, en la darrera flaire del flux, vacil·la suaument llur dansa. Arriben voleiant del blau en silenci, el nimfàlid, l’ortiguera, la reina, l’argentada, el feréstec bufaforats, l’arctid del seneci, la vellutada del salze, la migradora dels cards. Preciosament acolorides, guarnides de pell i vellut, iridescents com joiells, voleien cap aquí, esplèndides i tristes, taciturnes i letàrgiques, forasteres aquí, amarades de mel de prades paradisíaques, arcàdiques, efímeres hostesses de l’Orient que veiem en somnis, la nostra perduda pàtria, i de la qual confiem en el seu espiritual missatge com la propícia penyora d’una més noble existència. Al·legoria de tot el que és bell i efímer, del que és massa delicat i exuberant, melangioses hostesses ornades d’or en la vella festa del rei de l’estiu!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2025 by Salvador Pila, (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), "Schmetterlinge im Spätsommer", written 1933
This text was added to the website: 2025-11-15
Line count: 21
Word count: 131