Zwei Lieder

Translations © by Bertram Kottmann

Song Cycle by Henry Dixon Cowell (1897 - 1965)

View original-language texts alone: Two Songs

1. Sunset
 (Sung text)
Language: English 
The hour of ruin is begun
In glimmer of the western tide.
The golden lava of the sun
Floods down the cloudy mountainside
 
And brings a death of fire and pain
Those ancient cities have not known
Who perished underneath a rain
Of hissing rock and molten stone.
 
Death coursing with a swift delight
Shall overtake me as I stand
Before the coming of the light
Upon the burning western land.

Text Authorship:

  • by Catherine Riegger , copyright © by Catherine Riegger, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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IMPORTANT NOTE: The material directly above is protected by copyright and appears here by special permission. If you wish to copy it and distribute it, you must obtain permission or you will be breaking the law. Once you have permission, you must give credit to the author and display the copyright symbol ©. Copyright infringement is a criminal offense under international law.

© by Catherine Riegger
1. Endzeit
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Die Stunde des Verfalls beginnt
im West, im Schimmern der Gezeit.
Der Sonne gold’ne Lava rinnt
herab an Hang und Wolkenkleid,

verbreitet Tod und Qual und Brand,
die alte Städte nie gesehn,
wenn sie in einer Feuerwand
aus Fels und Lava untergehn.

Mit schneller Lust hetzt mich der Tod 
und er ereilt mich, da ich steh’,
eh’ ich ein neues Morgenrot
überm glühenden Westland seh’.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2015 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.

    Bertram Kottmann.  Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de

    If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact:

Based on:

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This text was added to the website: 2015-10-26
Line count: 12
Word count: 65

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
2. Rest
 (Sung text)
Language: English 
Anchor your flight, o winging birds,
To summer's many-nested trees;
And stars, throw down your silver cords
That bind you deeply to the seas.
 
There may be then one low-built shore
Where our unquiet minds find rest,
Such as the star knows in the deep
And the sleeping bird in the nest.

Text Authorship:

  • by Catherine Riegger , copyright © by Catherine Riegger, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Go to the general single-text view

IMPORTANT NOTE: The material directly above is protected by copyright and appears here by special permission. If you wish to copy it and distribute it, you must obtain permission or you will be breaking the law. Once you have permission, you must give credit to the author and display the copyright symbol ©. Copyright infringement is a criminal offense under international law.

© by Catherine Riegger
2. Ruh'
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Dein Ankerplatz, beschwingte Schar,
sich in Sommers Nestern findet;
wirf, Stern, die Silberschnur herab,
die zutiefst ans Meer dich bindet.

Dort mag   e i n   flaches Ufer sein,
wo unser rastlos’ Sein find’t Ruh’,
wie sie in Tiefen kommt dem Stern,
im Nest, schlafendem Vogel zu.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2015 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.

    Bertram Kottmann.  Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de

    If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact:

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2015-10-26
Line count: 8
Word count: 46

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann