Lead life

Song Cycle by Tsippi Fleischer (b. 1946)

1. Weltschmerz  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: German (Deutsch) 
Ich, der brennende Wüstenwind,
Erkaltete und nahm Gestalt an.

Wo ist die Sonne, die mich auflösen kann,
Oder der Blitz, der mich zerschmettern kann!

Blick nun, ein steinernes Sphinxhaupt,
Zürnend zu allen Himmeln auf.

Text Authorship:

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Confirmed with Else Lasker-Schüler, Gesammelte Gedichte, Leipzig, Verlag der Weißen Bücher, 1917, page 77.


Research team for this page: Karl Bellenberg [Guest Editor] , Emily Ezust [Administrator]

2a. I Gave You an Ancient Heart of Gold

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

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2b. Nothing Is As It Seems

Language: Hebrew (עברית) 
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3. Le ciel est, par dessus  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: French (Français) 
Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit,
  Si bleu, si calme !
Un arbre, par-dessus le toit,
  Berce sa palme.

La cloche, dans le ciel qu'on voit,
  Doucement tinte.
Un oiseau sur l'arbre qu'on voit
  Chante sa plainte.

Mon Dieu, mon Dieu, la vie est là
  Simple et tranquille.
Cette paisible rumeur-là
  Vient de la ville.

Qu'as-tu fait, ô toi que voilà
  Pleurant sans cesse,
Dis, qu'as-tu fait, toi que voilà,
  De ta jeunesse ?

Text Authorship:

  • by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), no title, written 1880, appears in Sagesse, in Sagesse III, no. 6, Paris, Société générale de Librairie Catholique, first published 1881

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • CHI Chinese (中文) (Yan-Jiang Che) , "監禁", copyright © 2009, (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
  • CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Vrchlický) , "Píseň"
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , no title, copyright © 2016
  • ENG English (Ernest Christopher Dowson) , no title, appears in Decorations, in After Paul Verlaine, no. 4
  • ENG English (Amy Pfrimmer) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Il cielo, lassù oltre il tetto", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (José Miguel Llata) , "Desde la prisión", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Ted Perry

4. Valse of the Devil
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
I'm in mourning
for dead hopes.
I'm wearing black
under my eyes
from long hours of vigil
at the bedside of dying dreams.
And in the end
it matters little
when hopes and dreams and bones
lie buried side by side
But, oh, the pity  
there's nothing now!

Text Authorship:

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

5. Купите лук
 (Sung text)

Language: Russian (Русский) 
Купите лук, купите лук 
Петрушку и морковку.
Купите нашу девочку,
Шалунью и плутовку!
Не нужен нам зелёный лук,
Петрушка и морковка -
Нужна нам только девочка,
Шалунья и плутовка.

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Text Authorship:

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

Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
Total word count: 182