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Rosensänge

Translations © by Bertram Kottmann

Song Cycle by Morten Lauridsen (b. 1943)

View original-language texts alone: Les Chansons des Roses

1. En une seule fleur

(Sung text)

Language: French (Français)

C'est pourtant nous qui t'avons proposé
de remplir ton calice.
Enchantée de cet artifice,
ton abondance l'avait osé.

Tu étais assez riche, pour devenir cent fois toi-même
en une seule fleur ;
c'est l'état de celui qui aime...
Mais tu n'as pas pensé ailleurs.

Text Authorship:

by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Poèmes français, in 3. Les Roses, no. 4, first published 1927

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by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)

1. In einer einz’gen Blüte

Language: German (Deutsch)

Doch haben wir dich angeregt,
den Kelch ganz zu erfüllen. 
Von diesem Kniff entzückt,
hat deine Fülle es gewagt.

Du warst reich genug, um hundert Mal du selbst zu werden
in einer einz’gen Blüte;
das ist der Zustand des’, der liebt …
doch Andres hast du nie gedacht.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2016 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Poèmes français, in 3. Les Roses, no. 4, first published 1927
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

Translation of title "En une seule fleur" = "In einer einz’gen Blüte"

This text was added to the website: 2016-05-21
Line count: 8
Word count: 48

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

2. Contre qui, rose

(Sung text)

Language: French (Français)

Contre qui, rose,
avez-vous adopté
ces épines ?
Votre joie trop fine
vous a-t-elle forcée
de devenir cette chose
armée ?

Mais de qui vous protège
cette arme exagérée ?
Combien d'ennemis vous ai-je
enlevés
qui ne la craignaient point.
Au contraire, d'été en automne,
vous blessez les soins
qu'on vous donne.

Text Authorship:

by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Poèmes français, in 3. Les Roses, no. 12, first published 1927

See other settings of this text.

by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)

Language: German (Deutsch)

Rose, gegen wen 
habt ihr ersonnen
diese Dornen?
Eure Freude, zu subtil,
hat sie erzwungen,
solche Waffen
zu entwickeln?

Doch vor wem schützt euch
diese übertrieb’ne Wehr?
Wie viele Feinde hielt ich schon von euch
ab,
die nichts gefürchtet?
Im Gegenteil, von Sommer bis zum Herbst
verletzt ihr den,
der sorgend sich euch widmet.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2016 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Poèmes français, in 3. Les Roses, no. 12, first published 1927
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2016-05-21
Line count: 15
Word count: 54

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

3. De ton rêve trop plein

(Sung text)

Language: French (Français)

De ton rêve trop plein,
fleur en dedans nombreuse,
mouillée comme une pleureuse,
tu te penches sur le matin.

Tes douces forces qui dorment
dans un désir incertain,
développent ses tendres formes
entre joues et seins.

Text Authorship:

by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Poèmes français, in 3. Les Roses, no. 8, first published 1927

See other settings of this text.

by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)

Language: German (Deutsch)

Von deinem Traume übervoll,
Blume, in dir ohne Zahl,
benetzt wie eine Weinende,
neigst über die Früh du dich.

Deine süßen Kräfte, schlummernd noch
in unschlüss’gem Verlangen,
entfalten diese zarten Formen
zwischen Brust und Wangen.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2016 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Poèmes français, in 3. Les Roses, no. 8, first published 1927
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2016-05-21
Line count: 8
Word count: 35

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

4. La rose complète

(Sung text)

Language: French (Français)

J'ai une telle conscience de ton
être, rose complète,
que mon consentement te confond
avec mon cœur en fête.

Je te respire comme si tu étais,
rose, toute la vie,
et je me sens l'ami parfait
d'une telle amie.

Text Authorship:

by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Poèmes français, in 3. Les Roses, no. 11, first published 1927

Go to the general single-text view

by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)

Language: German (Deutsch)

Dein Wesen ist mir so bewusst,
vollkomm’ne Rose,
dass mein Herze festlich
dir das Jawort gibt.

Ich saug’ dich ein, als wärest du
das ganze Leben, Rose,
und fühl in unsrer Freundschaft
mich mit dir vollendet.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2016 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Poèmes français, in 3. Les Roses, no. 11, first published 1927
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

Translation of title "La rose complète" = "Die vollkommene Rose"

This text was added to the website: 2016-05-21
Line count: 8
Word count: 36

5. Dirait‑on

(Sung text)

Language: French (Français)

Abandon entouré d'abandon,
tendresse touchant aux tendresses...
C'est ton intérieur qui sans cesse
se caresse, dirait-on ;

se caresse en soi-même,
par son propre reflet éclairé.
Ainsi tu inventes le thème
du Narcisse exhaucé.

Text Authorship:

by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Poèmes français, in 3. Les Roses, no. 5, first published 1927

Go to the general single-text view

by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)

5. So könnt’ man sagen

Language: German (Deutsch)

Gelöstheit in Gelöstheit eingebettet,
Liebkosung, die an Kosen rührt …
Es ist dein Inneres, das ohne Unterlass
sich herzt, so könnt’ man sagen;

sich kost ob seiner selbst,
vom eignen Spiegelbild erhellt.
So findest neu den Mythos du
von Narziss, wie er erhört.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2016 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Poèmes français, in 3. Les Roses, no. 5, first published 1927
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

Translation of title "Dirait-on" = "So könnt’ man sagen"

This text was added to the website: 2016-05-21
Line count: 8
Word count: 43