Early morning in December | Since the day emerges with difficulty and the night never vanishes

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by Max Rychner (1897 - 1965)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Dezemberfrühe

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Da schwer ein Tag entsteht und nie die Nacht vergeht, 
Sei leise! Sieh, der Morgen will dich nicht!
Mit schweren Schwingen treibt er vor dem Licht,
Nach dem dein Dunkel späht, nach dem dein Herz vergeht.

Vergessen wirst du nie, da Liebe nie vergeht --
Vergessen wird dich nicht der ungeborne Tag;
Sieh, wenn dein weißer Hauch im Frost verweht,
Sprang leis ein Quell, wo leerer Schlummer lag:
Sink hin! Du bist gemeint! schon wird es spät!

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 Max Rychner, Bedachte und Bezeugte Welt. Prosa, Gedichte, Aphorismen, Aufsätze, Darmstadt, Hamburg: Marion von Schröder Verlag, 1962, page 157.

Text Authorship:

by Max Rychner (1897 - 1965), "Dezemberfrühe" [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 Irene Erdmann (1896 - 1978), "Dezemberfrühe", 1951 [ voice and piano ], confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Early morning in December", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2024-09-07
Line count: 9
Word count: 76

Early morning in December

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Since the day emerges with difficulty and the night never vanishes,
Be still! Lo, the morning does not want you!
With heavy pinions it pushes itself before the light
For which your darkness keeps a lookout, for which your heart dissolves.

You shall never be forgotten, since love never vanishes --
The unborn day shall not forget you;
Lo, when your white breath dissipates in the frost,
A wellspring quietly bubbled up where empty slumber lay:
Sink down! You are meant! it is already growing late!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2024 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 Max Rychner (1897 - 1965), "Dezemberfrühe"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2024-11-23
Line count: 9
Word count: 85