Odd, to wander in the fog!

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by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Seltsam, im Nebel zu wandern!

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG ENG FRE IRI ITA

Seltsam, im Nebel zu wandern!
Einsam ist jeder Busch und Stein,
Kein Baum sieht den andern,
Jeder ist allein.

Voll Freunden war mir die Welt,
Als noch mein Leben licht war;
Nun, da der Nebel fällt,
Ist keiner mehr sichtbar.

Wahrlich, keiner ist weise,
Der nicht das Dunkel kennt,
Das unentrinnbar und leise
Von allen ihn trennt.

Seltsam, im Nebel zu wandern!
Leben ist Einsamsein.
Kein Mensch kennt den andern,
Jeder ist allein.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• C. Knayer • H. Nobis

H. Nobis sets stanzas 1-2

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Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada and the U.S., 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 136-137.

Text Authorship:

by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Im Nebel", written 1905 [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 between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 76

Odd, to wander in the fog!

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

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Odd, to wander in the fog!
Every bush and rock is solitary,
No tree sees another one,
Each one is alone.

The world was full of joy for me
When my life was still full of light;
Now that the fog is falling
No one is visible any longer.

Truly, no one is wise
Who does not know the darkness,
Which inescapably and quietly
Separates him from everyone.

Odd, to wander in the fog!
Life is loneliness.
No person knows the other,
Everyone is alone.

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Translations of title(s):
"Seltsam, im Nebel zu wandern!" = "Odd, to wander in the fog"
"Im Nebel" = "In the fog"
"Nebellied" = "Fog song"
"Herbstlied" = "Autumn song"
"Nebel" = "Fog"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2018 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), "Im Nebel", written 1905
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This text was added to the website: 2018-08-16
Line count: 16
Word count: 86