But you, immortal, your music forever speaking

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by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)

Translation © by T. P. (Peter) Perrin

Elegy 20, Sonnet I, 26

(Sung text for setting by H. Birtwistle)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

 ... 

Schließlich zerschlugen sie dich, von der Rache gehetzt,
während dein Klang noch in Löwen und Felsen verweilte
und in den Bäumen und Vögeln.  Dort singst du noch jetzt.

O du verlorener Gott!  Du unendliche Spur!
Nur weil dich reißend zuletzt die Feindschaft verteilte, 
sind wir die Hörenden jetzt und ein Mund der Natur.

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 3-4 of the original text.

Composition:

Harrison Birtwistle, Sir

Orpheus elegies

Text Authorship:

by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, written 1922, appears in Die Sonette an Orpheus 1, no. 26

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

ENG English [singable] (T. P. (Peter) Perrin) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-07-13
Line count: 14
Word count: 120

But you, immortal, your music forever...

(Sung text translation for setting by H. Birtwistle)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

 ... 

Revenge's target, they hunted you down in the end,
though in lions, in rocks, the sound of your music remained,
and in trees and in birds.  Where you'll sing into the future.

O vanished god!  Eternal connecting thread!
Only since hatred quartered you and spread
your remains are we a mouth and receptors for nature.

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Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 3-4 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

Singable translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2009 by T. P. (Peter) Perrin, (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 Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, written 1922, appears in Die Sonette an Orpheus 1, no. 26
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This text was added to the website: 2009-06-22
Line count: 14
Word count: 126