Winternächte

Leidenschaftlich strömt der Regen,
Schluchzend wirft er sich ins Land,
Bäche gurgeln in den Wegen
Überfülltem See entgegen,
Der noch jüngst so gläsern stand.

Daß wir einmal fröhlich waren
Und die Welt uns selig schien,
War ein Traum. In grauen Haaren
Stehn wir herbstlich und erfahren,
Leiden Krieg und hassen ihn.

Kahlgefegt und ohne Flitter
Liegt die Welt, die einst gelacht;
Durch entlaubter Äste Gitter
Blickt der Winter todesbitter,
Und es greift nach uns die Nacht.

Text Authorship:

• by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Oktober 1944", written 1944

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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.

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

Kennst du mich noch? Wir wurden alt
und fremd und anders, ich und du.
Wir wurden kühl, wir wurden kalt,
ich glaub' es geht dem Winter zu.

Wie ist das fern, wie ist das lang,
seit wir uns beide nimmer sah'n!
Das Lied, das ich dir damals sang,
klingt trüb in meinem Herzen an:

  La belle qui veut
  La belle qui n'ose
  Cueillir les roses
  Du jardin bleu . . .

Text Authorship:

• by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "La bella que vol...", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , "The beautiful woman who wants", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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.

Researcher for this page: Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]

Splittrig geknickter Ast,
Hangend schon Jahr um Jahr,
Trocken knarrt er im Wind sein Lied,
Ohne Laub, ohne Rinde,
Kahl, fahl, zu langen Lebens,
Zu langen Sterbens müd.
Hart klingt und zäh sein Gesang,
Klingt trotzig, klingt heimlich bang
Noch einen Sommer,
Noch einen Winter lang.

Text Authorship:

• by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Knarren eines geknickten Astes", written 1962

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El cruixir d’una branca trencada", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The creaking of a broken branch", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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.

Note: Quiel's score notes this as Hesse's last poem.

Confirmed with Hermann Hesse, Sämtliche Werke, herausgegeben von Volker Michels, Band 10 Die Gedichte, bearbeitet von Peter Huber, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2002, page 398.

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

Nun sind wir still 
Und singen keine Lieder mehr. 
Der Schritt wird schwer. 
Das ist die Nacht, die kommen will. 

Gib mir die Hand, 
Vielleicht ist unser Weg noch weit. 
Es schneit, es schneit. 
Hart ist der Winter in dem fremden Land. 

Wo ist die Zeit 
Da uns ein Licht, ein Herd gebrannt? 
Gib mir die Hand, 
Vielleicht ist unser Weg noch weit.

Text Authorship:

• by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Böse Zeit", written c1909

See other settings of this text.

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Temps dolent", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Bad times", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Mauvais temps", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada and the U.S., 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.

Research team for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]