When I sing to make you dance
See originalLanguage: English after the Bangla (Bengali)
...
When I sing to make you dance,
I know why there's music in leaves,
And why waves send their chorus of voices
To the heart of the listening earth:
When I sing to make you dance.
We are free
When I bring sweet things to your greedy hands,
I know why there is honey in the cup of the flower
And why fruits are secretly filled with sweet juice:
When I bring sweet things to your greedy hands.
When I bring to you colour'd toys, my child,
I understand why there is such a play of colours
On clouds, on water, and why flow'rs are painted in tints:
When I give colour'd toys to you, my child.
...
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 2,3,1 of the original text.
Note: in Gitanjali, the poem has no title; but in The Crescent
Moon, its title is "When and why"
Note: in Trotta's setting, in the last repeat of the first stanza, line 5 (stanza 2 of the original text), the added text "We are free" becomes "We are one." (see footnote 3)
Composition:
Set to music by Michael John Trotta (b. 1978), "When I sing to make you dance", published 2012, stanzas 2,3,1 [ SSA chorus and piano with optional flute ], Carl Fischer
Text Authorship:
Based on:
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 165
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
...
Und wenn ich sing’, auf dass du tanzt,
dann weiß ich wirklich, warum Blätter singen,
und warum Wellen ihrer Stimmen Chor
in Herz und Ohr der Erde strahlen -
wenn ich sing’, auf dass du tanzt.
Und bring ich Süßes dir, mein liebes Kind,
dann weiß ich, warum Honig sich im Kelch der Blüte findet,
und warum in aller Stille Früchte sich mit Süße füllen -
wenn Süßes ich dir bring’, mein liebes Kind.
Wenn Buntes ich zum Spiel dir bring, mein Kind,
verstehe ich, warum am Himmel, auf dem Wasser derlei Farben spielen,
und auch der Blumen Farbenpracht erschließt sich mir, -
wenn Buntes ich zum Spiel dir bring’, mein Kind.
...
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Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 2,3,1 of the original text.
Text Authorship:
Based on:
Based on:
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This text was added to the website: 2014-07-02
Line count: 18
Word count: 145
