Always back and forth

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by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Immer hin und wider

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE

Immer hin und wider
Strebt der Blütenzweig im Winde,
Immer auf und nieder
Strebt mein Herz gleich einem Kinde
Zwischen hellen und dunklen Tagen,
Zwischen Wollen und Entsagen.

Bis die Blüten sind verweht
Und der Zweig in Früchten steht,
Bis das Herz, der Kindheit satt,
Seine Ruhe hat
Und bekennt: voll Lust und nicht vergebens
War das unruhvolle Spiel des Lebens.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• G. Wilhelm • S. Zehendner

S. Zehendner sets lines 1-4, 7-10

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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, page 188.

Text Authorship:

by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Der Blütenzweig", written 1913 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]

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Research team for this page: Claus Swienty , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 62

Always back and forth

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

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Always back and forth
The blossom-sprig strives in the wind,
Always up and down
My heart strives like a child
Between bright and dark days,
Between desire and renunciation.

Until the blossoms have been scattered by the wind
And the branch stands full of fruit,
Until the heart, satiated with childhood,
Has found its rest
And acknowledges: full of joy and not in vain
Was the tumultuous play of life.

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Translations of title(s):
"Immer hin und wider" = "Always back and forth"
"Der Blütenzweig" = "The sprig of blossoms"

¹ G. Wilhelm: "up and down" (as it is in the third line)

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 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), "Der Blütenzweig", written 1913
- Go to the text page.

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This text was added to the website: 2017-10-09
Line count: 12
Word count: 71