Sei allem Abschied voran, als wäre er hinter
dir, wie der Winter, der eben geht.
Denn unter Wintern ist einer so endlos Winter,
dass, überwinternd, dein Herz überhaupt übersteht.

Sei immer tot in Eurydike [—, singender steige,]1
preisender steige zurück in den reinen Bezug.
Hier, unter Schwindenden, sei, im Reiche der Neige,
sei ein klingendes Glas, das sich im Klang schon zerschlug.

Sei — und wisse zugleich des Nicht-Seins Bedingung,
den unendlichen Grund deiner innigen Schwingung,
dass du sie völlig vollziehst dieses einzige Mal.

Zudemgebrauchten sowohl, wie zum dumpfen und stummen
Vorrat der vollen Natur, den unsäglichen Summen,
zähle dich jubelnd hinzu und vernichte die Zahl.

H. Birtwistle sets line 5

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Confirmed with Rainer Maria Rilke, Die Sonette an Orpheus, Leipzig: Insel-Verlag, 1923

¹ omitted by Birtwistle.

Text Authorship:

• by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Die Sonette an Orpheus 2, no. 13 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

• by Harrison Birtwistle, Sir (1934 - 2022), "Elegy 16, Sonnet II, 13", 2003-04, first performed 2004, line 5 [ oboe, harp and countertenor ], from Orpheus elegies, no. 24, Boosey & Hawkes [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Paul Brantley , "Sei allem Abschied voran" [ voice and piano ], from Rilke Lieder, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Gerhard Folkerts (b. 1944), "Sei allem Abschied voran", published 1987 [ alto and piano ], from Vier Lieder nach Texten von Rilke, no. 4, Selbstverlag [sung text not yet checked]
• by Christian Holmqvist (b. 1974), "Sei allem Abschied vorran", 2007, copyright © 2013 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Sonette an Orpheus, no. 1, Music Finland [sung text not yet checked]
• by Theodor Pauß (b. 1969), "Sei allem Abschied voran", 2002 [ soprano and chamber orchestra ], from 2 Sonette an Orpheus, no. 2, Manuskript [sung text not yet checked]
• by Roger Smalley (b. 1943), "Sei allem Abschied voran, als wäre er hinter", 1965 [ soprano, strings, brass, bells ], from Elegies, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

• Also set in English, a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Walter Arlen.
  • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
    
• Also set in English, a translation by Steven Mackey (b. 1956) , copyright © ; composed by Steven Mackey.
  • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
    
• Also set in English, a translation by Stephen Mitchell (b. 1943) , copyright © ; composed by John H. Harbison.
  • Go to the text.
    

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2023-08-05
Line count: 14
Word count: 106