by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)
Translation by Jan Śliwiński (1884 - 1950), as Hans Effenberger
Speak to me, my love!
Language: English after the Bangla (Bengali)
Speak to me, my love! Tell me in words what you sang. The night is dark. The stars are lost in clouds. The wind is sighing through the leaves. I will let loose my hair. My blue cloak will cling round me like [night]1. I will clasp your head to my bosom; And there in the sweet loneliness murmur on your heart. I will shut my eyes and listen. I will not look in your face. When your words are ended, we will sit still and silent. Only the trees will whisper in the dark. The night will pale. The day will dawn. We shall look at each other's eyes and go on our different paths. Speak to me, my love! Tell me in words what you sang.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Bridge: "the night"
Text Authorship:
- by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in The Gardener, no. 29, first published 1915
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941) [text unavailable]
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Parle-moi, mon amour !", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 21
Word count: 130
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
Our translations: ITA
Sprich zu mir Geliebter,
Sag mir mit Worten, was du sangest.
Die Nacht ist dunkel,
Die Sterne sind in Wolken verloren,
Der Wind seufzt durch die Blätter.
Ich will mein Haar lösen,
Mein blauer Mantel wird dich umschmiegen wie Nacht.
Ich will deinen Kopf an meine Brust schließen,
Und hier, in der süßen Einsamkeit
Laß dein Herz reden.
Ich will meine Augen zumachen und lauschen,
Ich will nicht in dein Antlitz schauen.
Wenn deine Worte zu Ende sind,
Wollen wir still und schweigend sitzen,
Nur die Bäume werden im Dunkel flüstern,
Die Nacht wird bleichen,
Der Tag wird dämmern,
Wir werden einander in die Augen schauen
Und jeder seines Weges ziehn.
Sprich zu mir, Geliebter.
...
Composition:
- Set to music by Alexander Zemlinsky (1871 - 1942), no title, op. 18 no. 4 (1922), first performed 1924 [ soprano and orchestra ], from Lyrische Symphonie, no. 4
Text Authorship:
- by Jan Śliwiński (1884 - 1950), as Hans Effenberger, appears in Rabindranath Tagore. Der Gärtner, no. 29, first published 1916
Based on:
- a text in English by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in The Gardener, no. 29, first published 1915
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941) [text unavailable]
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Amore mio, parlami", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-10-20
Line count: 21
Word count: 123