not I -- not nothing

Translations © by Peter Palmer

Song Cycle by Heinz Holliger (b. 1939)

View original-language texts alone: nicht Ichts -- nicht Nichts : Ten monodistichs by Angelus Silesius for four voices

1. Ohne warumb
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Die Ros' ist ohn warumb / sie blühet weil sie blühet /
Sie achtt nicht jhrer selbst / fragt nicht ob man sie sihet.

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

by Johannes Scheffler (1624 - 1677), as Angelus Silesius
1. Without why
Language: English 
The rose is without why / it flowers because it flowers /
It pays no heed to itself / does not ask if it is seen.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2012 by Peter Palmer, (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: 

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2012-10-05
Line count: 2
Word count: 26

Translation © by Peter Palmer
2. Ein Wurm beschämet unss
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
O spott! Ein seiden Wurm der wirkt / biss er kan fliegen:
Und du bleibst / wie du bist / nur auf der Erde liegen!

Text Authorship:

Go to the general single-text view

by Johannes Scheffler (1624 - 1677), as Angelus Silesius
2. A worm puts us to shame
Language: English 
O mockery! A silk worm works / until it can fly:
And you stay / as you are / merely lying on the earth!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2012 by Peter Palmer, (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: 

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2012-10-05
Line count: 2
Word count: 24

Translation © by Peter Palmer
3. Zufall und Wesen
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Mensch werde wesentlich: denn wann die Welt vergeht /
So fällt der Zufall weg / das wesen das besteht.

Text Authorship:

Go to the general single-text view

by Johannes Scheffler (1624 - 1677), as Angelus Silesius
3. Accident and essence
Language: English 
Man, become essential: for when the world decays /
The accidental will go / the essence will remain.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2012 by Peter Palmer, (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: 

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2012-10-05
Line count: 2
Word count: 18

Translation © by Peter Palmer
4. Man weiss nicht was man ist
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Jch weiss nicht was ich bin / Jch bin nicht was ich weiss:
Ein ding und nit ein ding: ein stüpffchin und ein kreiss.

Text Authorship:

Go to the general single-text view

by Johannes Scheffler (1624 - 1677), as Angelus Silesius
4. One does not know what one is
Language: English 
I do not know what I am / I am not what I know:
A thing and not a thing: a dash and a circle.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2012 by Peter Palmer, (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: 

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2012-10-05
Line count: 2
Word count: 25

Translation © by Peter Palmer
5. GOtt ergreifft man nicht
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
GOtt ist ein lauter nichts / Jhn rührt kein Nun noch Hier:
Je mehr du nach Jhm greiffst / je mehr entwird Er dir.

Text Authorship:

Go to the general single-text view

[sic] for "GOtt"

by Johannes Scheffler (1624 - 1677), as Angelus Silesius
5. One cannot grasp God
Language: English 
God is a pure nothing / no here or now affects Him:
The more you clutch at Him / the more He escapes you.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2012 by Peter Palmer, (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: 

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2012-10-05
Line count: 2
Word count: 24

Translation © by Peter Palmer
6. Die Augen der Seele
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Zwey Augen hat die Seel: eins schauet in die Zeit /
Das andre richtet sich hin in die Ewigkeit.

Text Authorship:

Go to the general single-text view

by Johannes Scheffler (1624 - 1677), as Angelus Silesius
6. The eyes of the soul
Language: English 
The soul has two eyes: one gazes into time /
The other is directed to eternity.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2012 by Peter Palmer, (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: 

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2012-10-05
Line count: 2
Word count: 16

Translation © by Peter Palmer
7. Nichts leuchtet ohne die Sonne
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Rauh ist der Mond gestalt ohn seiner Sonne licht:
Rauh ohne deine Sonn dein seelen Angesicht.

Text Authorship:

Go to the general single-text view

by Johannes Scheffler (1624 - 1677), as Angelus Silesius
7. Nothing shines without the sun
Language: English 
Rude is the moon's form without the light of its sun:
Rude without your sun the visage of your soul.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2012 by Peter Palmer, (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: 

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2012-10-05
Line count: 2
Word count: 20

Translation © by Peter Palmer
8. Der Geistliche Krebsgang
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Mensch senke dich herab / so steigestu hinauf.
Lass ab von deinem gehn / so fängt sich an dein Lauf.

Text Authorship:

Go to the general single-text view

by Johannes Scheffler (1624 - 1677), as Angelus Silesius
8. The spiritual crab-walk
Language: English 
Man, lower yourself / and you shall ascend.
Desist from your moving / and your race shall commence.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2012 by Peter Palmer, (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: 

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2012-10-05
Line count: 2
Word count: 18

Translation © by Peter Palmer
9. Ein jedes in dem seinigen
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Der Vogel in der Lufft / der Stein ruht auff dem Land /
Jm Wasser lebt der Fisch / mein Geist in GOttes Hand.

Text Authorship:

Go to the general single-text view

by Johannes Scheffler (1624 - 1677), as Angelus Silesius
9. Each to his own
Language: English 
The bird in the air / the stone rests on the land /
The fish lives in water / my spirit in God's hand.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2012 by Peter Palmer, (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: 

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2012-10-05
Line count: 2
Word count: 24

Translation © by Peter Palmer
10. Jn der Ewigkeit geschicht alles zugleiche
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Dort in der Ewigkeit geschihet alls zugleich:
Es ist kein vor noch nach / wie hier im Zeitenreich.

Text Authorship:

Go to the general single-text view

by Johannes Scheffler (1624 - 1677), as Angelus Silesius
10. In eternity everything happens at once
Language: English 
There in eternity everything happens at once:
There is no before or after / as here, in the world of time.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2012 by Peter Palmer, (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: 

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2012-10-05
Line count: 2
Word count: 21

Translation © by Peter Palmer