Serenade for baritone and 8 instruments

Song Cycle by René Leibowitz (1913 - 1972)

1. Hör es klagt die Flöte wieder  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: German (Deutsch) 
[Hör]1 es klagt die Flöte wieder
Und die kühlen [Brunnen]2 rauschen,
Golden wehn die Töne nieder,
Stille, [stille]3, laß uns lauschen!

Holdes Bitten, mild Verlangen,
[Wie es süß zum Herzen spricht]4!
Durch die Nacht die mich umfangen,
Blickt zu mir der Töne Licht.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Wim Reedijk) , "Avondserenade", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Evening serenade", copyright © 2005
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Helga Jost-Weyer) , "Serenata", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Brandts-Buys: "Horch"
2 Louis Ferdinand: "Bronnen"
3 omitted by Brandts-Buys.
4 Brandts-Buys: "Wie so süß zum Herzen es spricht!"

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

2. An Luise Hensel
 (Sung text)

Language: German (Deutsch) 
 ... 

Dein Lied erklang, es war kein Ton vergebens,
Der ganze Frühling, der von Liebe haucht,
Hat, als du sangest, nieder sich getaucht,
Im sehnsuchtsvollen Strome meines Lebens,
Im Sonnenuntergang,
Als mir dein Lied erklang!

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "La teva cançó sonà", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (John Glenn Paton) , "When your song rang out to me", copyright © 2002, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Ton chant a retentit, je l'ai entendu", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Note: in editions of Brentano's poetry published after about 1900, the first line has "gehöret" and the fourth line has "bekehret".

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

3. Hälfte des Lebens  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: German (Deutsch) 
Mit gelben Birnen hänget
Und voll mit wilden Rosen
Das Land in den See,
Ihr holden Schwäne,
Und trunken von Küssen
[Tunkt]1 [ihr das Haupt
Ins heilignüchterne Wasser.]2

Weh mir, wo nehm' ich, wenn
Es Winter ist, die Blumen, und wo
Den Sonnenschein,
Und Schatten der Erde?
Die Mauern [stehn]3
Sprachlos und kalt, im Winde
Klirren die Fahnen.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "La meitat de la vida", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The middle of life", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le milieu de la vie", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , "Mi-temps de la vie", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • IRI Irish (Gaelic) [singable] (Gabriel Rosenstock) , "Leath an tSaoil", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Müller: "Taucht"; omitted by Ligeti
2 omitted by Ligeti
3 Cerha: "stehen"

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Total word count: 144