Rilke songs

Song Cycle by John Beall (b. 1942)

1. Autumn  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: German (Deutsch) 
The leaves are falling, falling as from far,
as though above were withering farthest gardens;
they fall with a denying attitude.

And night by night, down into solitude,
the heavy earth falls far from every star.

We are all falling. This hand’s falling too–
all have this falling-sickness none withstands.

And yet there’s One whose gently-holding hands
this universal falling can’t fall through.

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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 Rainer Maria Rilke, Possibility of Being; A Selection of Poems, New Directions Publishing Corporation, 1977, p.11


Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

2. Autumn day

Language: English 
— This text is not currently
in the database but will be added
as soon as we obtain it. —

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  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

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3. Lament  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
O how all things are far removed
 [ ... ]

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Confirmed with Rainer Maria Rilke, Rainer Maria Rilke Selected Poems, Routledge, 1986, p.60


4. To say before going to sleep  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
I would like to sing someone to sleep
 [ ... ]

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Total word count: 306