Songs of the Orient. Poems from the Persian and Chinese by Hans Bethge

Translations © by Sharon Krebs

by Richard Georg Strauss (1864 - 1949)

View original-language texts alone: Gesänge des Orients. Nachdichtungen aus dem Persischen und Chinesischen von Hans Bethge

1. Ihre Augen
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Deine gewölbten Brauen, o Geliebte,
Sind Paradieseslauben, darunter lächelnd
Die holden Engel deiner Augen wohnen.

Der Glanz, der durch die Welt gebreitet ist,
Geht aus von diesen Engeln, die den Schimmer
Mitbrachten aus der Flur des Paradieses.

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by Hans Bethge (1876 - 1946)
1. Her eyes
Language: English 
Your arched eyebrows, oh Beloved,
Are bowers of paradise, under which smilingly
The lovely angels of your eyes dwell.

The radiance that is spread throughout the world,
Emanates from these angels, who brought
Their shimmer along from the meadows of paradise.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 by Sharon Krebs, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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This text was added to the website: 2014-03-25
Line count: 6
Word count: 41

Translation © by Sharon Krebs
2. Schwung
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Gebt mir meinen Becher! Seht, er überstrahlt
Die blasse Lampe der Vernunft, so wie
Die Sonne die Gestirne überstrahlt!

Gebt mir meinen Becher! Sämtliche Gebete
Meines Breviers will ich vergessen, alle
Suren des Korans stürz ich in den Wein!

Gebt mir meinen Becher! Und Gesang erschalle
Und dringe zu den tanzenden Sphären auf
Mit mächtigem Schwung! Ich bin der Herr der Welt!

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Confirmed with Hans Bethe, Hafis Nachdichtungen, Kelkheim: YinYang Media Verlag, 2004, page 26.


by Hans Bethge (1876 - 1946)
2. Impetus
Language: English 
Give me my goblet!  See, it outshines
The pale lamp of reason, just as
The sun outshines the stars!

Give me my goblet!  All the prayers
Within my breviary I wish to forget, all
The surahs of the Koran I plunge into the wine!

Give me my goblet!  And may songs ring out
And rise up to the dancing spheres
With a mighty impetus!  I am the lord of the world!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 by Sharon Krebs, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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This text was added to the website: 2014-09-25
Line count: 9
Word count: 71

Translation © by Sharon Krebs
3. Liebesgeschenke
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Ich pflückte eine kleine Pfirsichblüte
Und brachte sie der schönen jungen Frau,
Die Lippen hat -- o rosiger, beim Himmel,
Und zarter als die feinsten Pfirsichblüten.

Und eine schwarze Schwalbe fing ich ein
Und brachte sie der schönen jungen Frau,
Die Augenbrauen hat, so schlank und dunkel
Wie einer Schwalbe schlankes Flügelpaar.

Am andern Tage war die Pfirsichblüte
Verwelkt, die Schwalbe aber war entflohn
In jene fernen blauen Berge, wo 
Der Genius der Pfirsichblüten wohnt.

Jedoch der Mund der schönen jungen Frau
Blieb süß und rosig, wie er voher glänzte,
Und ihrer Augenbrauen Flügelpaar
Flog nicht davon und ziert sie immerzu.

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by Hans Bethge (1876 - 1946)
3. Gifts of Love
Language: English 
I picked a little peach blossom
And brought it to the beautiful young woman,
Who has lips -- oh! rosier, by heaven,
And more delicate than the finest peach blossoms.

And I caught a black swallow,
And brought it to the beautiful young woman,
Who has eyebrows, so slender and dark
As the slender pair of a swallow's wings.

The next day the peach blossom was
Withered, but the swallow had escaped
to those distant blue mountains,
In which the genius of peach blossoms lives.

But the lips of the beautiful young woman
Remained sweet and rosy, gleaming as before,
And the winged pair of her eyebrows
Did not fly away and still adorns her.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 by Sharon Krebs, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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This text was added to the website: 2014-03-11
Line count: 16
Word count: 114

Translation © by Sharon Krebs
4. Die Allmächtige
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Die höchste Macht der Erde sitzt auf keinem Thron.
Sie blüht in deinem Angesicht, du Herrliche!
Der Tag wird durch die goldne Sonne nicht erhellt,
Aus deinen Augen fließt das wundervolle Licht!

In deinen schlanken Händen ruht die Macht des Lebens
Und auch die dunkle Macht des Todes, wie du willst.
Du Schlimme tust des Bösens ein gehäuftes Maß.
Tu es getrost, der Himmel zürnt dir nicht.

Der Engel Pflicht wär, aufzuschreiben,
Was du Böses tust, sie walten ihres Amtes nicht.
Sie lieben dich.

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by Hans Bethge (1876 - 1946)
4. The almighty one
Language: English 
The greatest power of earth does not sit upon any throne.
It blooms in your visage, you magnificent one!
The day is not brightened by the golden sun,
From out your eyes flows the wondrous light!

In your slender hands rests the might of life
And also the dark might of death, as you wish.
You wicked one, you do a heaping measure of evil.
Do it confidently, heaven is not angry with you.

It would be the duty of the angels to write down
The evil things you do, [but] they do not carry out their charge.
They love you.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 by Sharon Krebs, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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This text was added to the website: 2014-05-19
Line count: 11
Word count: 101

Translation © by Sharon Krebs
5. Huldigung
 (Sung text)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Die Perlen meiner Seele
Haben keinen andern Sinn, du Süße,
Als daß ich sie hinstreue,
Vor deine kleinen launischen Füße.
Solange meine Pulse schlagen,
Gehör ich dir.

Wenn ich dereinst begraben bin,
Werde ich als Staub vom Grab her wirbeln
Und den Saum deines Gewandes küssen,
Voller Liebe.

Du meinst mir Kränkendes zu sagen.
Du irrst dich.
Deine Bitterkeiten gehn über Lippen,
Die so süß sind, daß alles,
Was mein Ohr erreicht,
Nur liebevolles Schmeicheln ist.

Niemals kommen wir zusammen,
Du und ich,
Was ich dir zuliebe tu,
Verschmähst du.
Gram, den du mir zufügst,
streif ich ab.

Schmück ich dich mit allen Kostbarkeiten,
Zürnst du mir.
Und deine Zornesworte
Lächelnd nehm ich sie
Wie einen Gruß der Gnade auf.

Ich möchte aus deinem Haar
Eine endlose Flechte winden,
Um mich hinzuschwingen
Von Stern zu Stern,
Um allen kreisenden Welten
Frohlockend deine Schönheit zu künden.

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by Hans Bethge (1876 - 1946)
5. Homage
Language: English 
The pearls of my soul
Are of no other use, you sweet one,
But that I strew them
Before your little, capricious feet.
As long as my pulse beats,
I belong to you.

When someday I am buried,
I shall swirl hither as dust from the grave
And shall kiss the hem of your garment,
Full of love.

You think you are saying insulting things to me.
You are wrong.
Your bitter words pass over lips
That are so sweet, that everything
That reaches my ears
Is only loving adulation.

We shall never be united
You and I,
What I do for love of you,
You spurn.
Grief that you cause me,
I shrug off.

If I adorn you with every treasure,
You are angry with me.
And your words of wrath
I smilingly accept
Like a greeting of grace.

From your hair I would like
To weave an endless braid,
In order to swing myself
From star to star,
To joyfully proclaim your beauty
To all the orbiting worlds.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 by Sharon Krebs, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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This text was added to the website: 2014-06-23
Line count: 33
Word count: 170

Translation © by Sharon Krebs