Outlook from the upper Belvedere | Fill! decorative and beautiful spirit

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by Josef Weinheber (1892 - 1945)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Blick vom oberen Belvedere

(Sung text for setting by R. Strauss)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE

Fülle du! Gezier- und schöner Geist,
Übersetzt in edelstes Gebreite:
Rechts die Kuppel, links die Kuppel weist
Majestätisch ein dies Bild der Weite.

Ach, wie hatten jene Zeiten Kraft,
Rohes und Wildes in die Kunst zu heben!
Irdischer Gesetzlichkeit entrafft,
Engten sie und weiteten das Leben.

Gehn nicht die Terrassen ab und an
Reifrockdamen, sanft hofiert von  ... 
Eindruckssicher steifen Kavalieren?

Nein, die Gärten zaubern holden Wahn.
Ganz verging dies Planen, Lächeln, Lieben --
Gilb und weh -- nur Schönheit ist geblieben ...

Confirmed with Die Texte der Lieder von Richard Strauss, Kritische Ausgabe von Reinhold Schlötterer, Pfaffenhofen: W. Ludwig Verlag, 1988.

Note that the sequence made up of the first letters of each line spells out "Für Marie Grengg"

Composition:

Richard Georg Strauss

Text Authorship:

by Josef Weinheber (1892 - 1945), "Blick vom oberen Belvedere", appears in Wien wörtlich, first published 1935

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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Vista des del mirador més alt", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Outlook from the upper Belvedere", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Vue du belvédère d'en haut", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Alberto Pedrotti

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 82

Outlook from the upper Belvedere

(Sung text translation for setting by R. Strauss)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Add this translation to your Reprint Basket | Add tr by R. Strauss

Fill! decorative and beautiful spirit,
Translated into most noble expanses:
The dome on the right, the dome on the left
Majestically introduces this image of expanse.

Ah, how those former times had power
To lift what is rough and wild into the realm of art!
Freed from earthly laws,
Those times narrowed and widened life.

Are there not upon the terraces, walking up and down,
Women in hooped skirts, gently courted by  ... 
Stiff cavaliers who are certain about the impression they are making?

No, the gardens are magically creating lovely delusions.
This planning, smiling, loving completely faded away --
Yellowed and woeful -- only beauty has remained . .

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 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.

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Josef Weinheber (1892 - 1945), "Blick vom oberen Belvedere", appears in Wien wörtlich, first published 1935
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2014-05-08
Line count: 14
Word count: 109