Fünf Tagorelieder

Translations © by Bertram Kottmann

Song Cycle by Alistair Hinton (b. 1950)

View original-language texts alone: Five Songs of Tagore

1. Pluck this little flower  [sung text not yet checked]
Language: English 
Pluck this little flower and take it, delay not! 
I fear lest it droop
and drop into the dust.
[I may not find]1 a place in thy garland,
but honour it 
with a touch of pain  from thy hand and pluck it. 
I fear lest the day end 
before I am [aware]2,
and the time of offering go by.
Though its colour be not deep 
and its smell be faint, 
use this flower in thy service 
and pluck it while there is time.

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View original text (without footnotes)
1 Hinton and some editions of Tagore: "It may not have"
2 Hinton (in early performances of the work): "awake"

by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)
1.
[Translation not yet available]
2. My heart, the bird of the wilderness  [sung text not yet checked]
Language: English 
My heart, the bird of the wilderness,
has found its sky in your eyes:
They are the cradle of the morning,
they are the kingdom of the stars;
My songs are lost in their depths.
Let me but soar in that sky,
in its lonely immensity!
Let me but cleave its clouds
and spread wings in its sunshine.

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by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)
2.
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Mein Herz, ein wilder Vogel, -
in deinen Augen hat es seinen Himmel wohl gefunden.
Sie sind's, in denen sich der Morgen wiegt,
sie sind der Sterne Königreich;
in ihren Tiefen haben meine Lieder sich verloren.
Ach lass' in diesen Himmel mich entschweben,
in seine einsame Unendlichkeit.
Ach lass mich teilen sein Gewölk,
in seinem Sonnenlicht die Flügel breiten.

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

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This text was added to the website: 2015-06-28
Line count: 9
Word count: 58

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
3. I plucked your flower  [sung text not yet checked]
Language: English 
I plucked your flower, O world!
I pressed it to my heart and the thorn pricked.
When the day waned and it darkened, 
I found that the flower had faded, 
but the pain remained.

More flowers will come to you 
with perfume and pride, O world!
But my time for flower-gathering is over, 
and through the dark night I have not my rose, 
only the pain remains.

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by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)
3.
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Deine Blume brach ich, Welt!
Ich drückt' sie an mein Herz, der Stachel stach.
Als dann der Tag schwand und es dunkel wurde, 
erkannte ich, sie war verblüht, 
doch war der Schmerz geblieben.

Mehr Blumen werden dir zukommen 
mit Duft und Stolz, o Welt!
Doch meine Zeit des Blumenpflückens ist vorüber; 
und meine Rose hab' ich in der Nacht nicht mehr, 
nur meinen Schmerz.

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

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This text was added to the website: 2015-06-28
Line count: 10
Word count: 64

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
4. Then finish the last song  [sung text not yet checked]
Language: English 
Then finish the last song 
and let us leave.
Forget this night when the night is no more.
Whom do I try to clasp in my arms?  
Dreams can never be made captive.
My eager hands press emptiness 
to my heart and it bruises my breast.

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by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)
4.
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Sing denn das letzte Lied zu Ende
und lasst uns gehen.
Vergiss die Nacht, wenn keine Nacht mehr ist.
Wen suche ich mit meinen Armen zu umfangen?
Nie lassen Träume sich festhalten.
Meine Hände drücken sehnlich Leere mir ans Herz,
und es zersprengt mir fast die Brust.

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

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This text was added to the website: 2015-06-28
Line count: 7
Word count: 47

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
5. Peace, my heart  [sung text not yet checked]
Language: English 
Peace, my heart, 
let the time for the parting be sweet.
Let it not be a death 
but completeness.
Let love melt into memory 
and pain into songs.
Let the flight through the sky end 
in the folding of the wings over the nest.
Let the last touch of your hands be gentle 
like the flower of the night.
Stand still, O Beautiful End, 
for a moment, 
and say your last words in silence.
I bow to you 
and hold up my lamp 
to light you on your way.

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by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)
5.
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Ruhe, mein Herz,
und lass' die Zeit des Scheidens heiter sein.
Lass' sie nicht einen Tod sein,
sondern die Vollkommenheit.
Lass Liebe sich in Erinn'rung lösen
und Schmerz in Lieder.
Lass' mit gespreizten Schwingen überm Neste
diesen Himmelsflug beenden.
Behutsam sei das letzte Fassen deiner Hände,
nachtblütensanft.
Verweile, wunderschönes Ende,
verweile einen Augenblick
und sprich die letzten Worte mir in Schweigen.
Ich neige mich vor dir
und halte hoch mein Licht
dir auf dem Weg zu leuchten.

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:

Based on:

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This text was added to the website: 2015-06-28
Line count: 16
Word count: 77

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann