Autumn | Ye birds in the shrubbery

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by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Herbst

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Ihr Vögel im Gesträuch,
Wie flattert euer Gesang
Den bräunenden Wald entlang --
Ihr Vögel, sputet euch!

Bald kommt der Wind, der weht,
Bald kommt der Tod, der mäht,
Bald kommt das graue Gespenst und lacht,
Daß uns das Herz erfriert
Und der Garten all seine Pracht
Und das Leben all seinen Glanz verliert.

Liebe Vögel im Laub,
Liebe Brüderlein,
Lasset uns singen und fröhlich sein,
Bald sind wir Staub.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• G. Bohner • Y. Kilpinen • E. Petzold

Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.

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Confirmed with Hermann Hesse, Sämtliche Werke, herausgegeben von Volker Michels, Band 10 Die Gedichte, bearbeitet von Peter Huber, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2002, pages 258-259.

Text Authorship:

by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Herbst", subtitle: "(1919)", written 1919 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]

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Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2009-04-30
Line count: 14
Word count: 71

Autumn

NOTE: the footnotes have been removed from this text; return to general view

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Ye birds in the shrubbery,
How your singing flutters
Along the forest that is growing brown --
Ye birds, make haste!

Soon shall come the wind that blows,
Soon shall come death that mows,
Soon shall come the grey ghost and laugh
That our heart freezes within us
And the garden loses all its splendour
And life loses all its radiance.

Dear birds in the foliage,
Dear little brethren,
Let us sing and be happy,
Soon we shall be dust.

Subtitle: "(1919)"

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Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2019 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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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Herbst", subtitle: "(1919)", written 1919
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general view

This text was added to the website: 2019-10-25
Line count: 14
Word count: 82