Gratitude | You have given me great things in those lofty hours

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by Karl von Levetzow (1871 - 1945)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Dank

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Großes hast du mir gegeben in jenen Hochstunden,
Die für uns bestehen im Zeitlosen.
Großes hast du mir gegeben: ich danke dir!

Schönheit schenkten wir uns im stets Wachsenden,
Was ich mir vorbehielt im Raumlosen.
Schönheit schenkten wir uns: ich danke dir!

Ungewollt schufst du mir noch das Gewaltigste,
Schufst mir das Niegeahnte: den schönen Schmerz!
Tief in die Seele bohrtest du mir
Ein finsteres Schwertweh.
Dumpf nächtig trennend
Und dennoch hell winterlich leuchtend.

Schön! dreifach schön! denn von dir kam es ja!
Ungewollt schufst du mir noch das Gewaltigste,
Schufst mir das Niegeahnte: ich danke dir!

Text Authorship:

by Karl von Levetzow (1871 - 1945) [author's text not yet checked 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 Arnold Franz Walter Schoenberg (1874 - 1951), "Dank", op. 1 (2 Gesänge) no. 1 (1898) [ baritone and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Gratitude", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 15
Word count: 97

Gratitude

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

You have given me great things in those lofty hours
That exist for us in the timelessness of eternity.
You have given me great things:  I thank you!

We gave each other beauty in the state of perpetual growth
That I reserved for myself in boundless space.
We gave each other beauty:  I thank you!

Without your volition you also created the most tremendous thing for me,
You created for me the never-presaged:  the beautiful pain!
Deep into my soul you gouged
A darksome sword wound.
Dividing dully and nocturnally
And yet with a brightly, wintery shining.

Beautiful! triply beautiful! for it came from you!
Without your volition you also created the most tremendous thing for me,
You created for me the never-presaged:  I thank you!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2011 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 Karl von Levetzow (1871 - 1945)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2012-01-12
Line count: 15
Word count: 126