The Violin Sings in a Common Language

Song Cycle by Stanley Grill (b. 1953)

1. Der Nachbar
 (Sung text)

Language: German (Deutsch) 
Fremde Geige, gehst du mir nach?
In wieviel Städten schon sprach
deine einsame Nacht zu meiner?
Spielen dich hunderte? Spielt dich einer?

Giebt es in allen großen Städten
solche, die sich ohne dich
schon in den den Flüssen verloren hätten?
Und warum trifft es immer mich?

Warum bin ich immer der Nachbar derer,
die ich bange zwingen zu singen
und zu sagen: Das Leben ist schwerer
als die Schwere von allen Dingen.

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

  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , "Le voisin", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

2. Chanson d'Automne
 (Sung text)

Language: French (Français) 
Les sanglots longs
Des violons
   De l'automne
Blessent mon cœur
D'une langueur
   Monotone.

Tout suffocant
Et blême, quand
   Sonne l'heure,
Je me souviens
Des jours anciens
   Et je pleure ;

Et je m'en vais
Au vent mauvais
   Qui m'emporte
Deçà, delà,
Pareil à la
   Feuille morte.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • CHI Chinese (中文) [singable] (Dr Huaixing Wang) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Peter Low) , "The long sobs", copyright © 2000, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Judith Kellock) , "Song of autumn", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English [singable] (Walter A. Aue) , "Autumn song", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Bergen Weeks Applegate) , "Autumn Song", appears in Poems Saturnine, in 3. Somber Landscapes, no. 5
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Herbstlied", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Walter A. Aue) , "Herbstgesang", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Pierre Mathé) , "Herbstlied", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Dr Huaixing Wang) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • HUN Hungarian (Magyar) (Tamás Rédey) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • HUN Hungarian (Magyar) (Tamás Rédey) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • HUN Hungarian (Magyar) (Árpád Tóth) , "Őszi chanson"
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Canzone d'autunno", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • POL Polish (Polski) (Teresa Prażmowska) , "Pieśń jesienna", first published 1889
  • POL Polish (Polski) (Barbara Beaupré) , "Jesienna pieśń"

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit [Guest Editor]

3. Casida del llanto
 (Sung text)

Language: Spanish (Español) 
He cerrado mi balcón
por que no quiero oír el llanto
pero por detrás de los grises muros
no se oye otra cosa que el llanto.

Hay muy pocos ángeles que canten,
hay muy pocos perros que ladren,
mil violines caben en la palma de mi mano.

Pero el llanto es un perro inmenso,
el llanto es un ángel inmenso,
el llanto es un violín inmenso,
las lágrimas amordazan al viento,
no se oye otra cosa que el llanto.

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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

4. Kreisler
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
Sell me a violin, mister, of old mysterious wood.
Sell me a fiddle that has kissed dark nights on the forehead where men kiss sisters they love.
Sell me dried wood that has ached with passion clutching the knees and arms of a storm.
Sell me horsehair and rosin that has sucked at the breasts of the morning sun for milk.
Sell me something crushed in the heartsblood of pain readier than ever for one more song.

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Researcher for this page: Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]

5. Haiku
 (Sung text)

Language: Afrikaans 
in die herfs
 [ ... ]

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Total word count: 281