Come into the clearing, friend | Come into the clearing, friend, though little shines

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by Friedrich Hölderlin (1770 - 1843)

Translation © by Dr. Anthony Krupp

Komm ins Offene Freund

(Sung text for setting by H. Eisler)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Komm! ins Offene, Freund! zwar glänzt ein Weniges heute
Nur herunter und eng schließet der Himmel uns ein.
 ... 
Trüb ists heut, es schlummern die Gäng' und die Gassen und fast will
Mir es scheinen, es sei, als in der bleiernen Zeit.
 ... 

Denn nicht Mächtiges ists, zum Leben aber gehört es,
Was wir wollen, und scheint schicklich und freudig zugleich.
Aber kommen doch auch der segenbringenden Schwalben
Immer einige noch, ehe der Sommer, ins Land.
 ... 
Möge der Zimmermann vom Gipfel des Daches den Spruch tun,
Wir, so gut es gelang, haben das Unsre getan.

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1 (lines 1-2,5-6), 2 (lines 1-4, 15-16) of the original text.

Composition:

Hanns Eisler

Ernste Gesänge

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Hölderlin (1770 - 1843), "Der Gang aufs Land", appears in Gedichte 1800-1804, in Elegien

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

ENG English (Dr. Anthony Krupp) , "Come into the clearing, friend", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2005-02-20
Line count: 40
Word count: 358

Come into the clearing, friend

(Sung text translation for setting by H. Eisler)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Come into the clearing, friend, though little shines
 here below today, and tightly the heavens enclose us.

It is dim today, the alleys are slumbering.
  It seems to be a leaden time.

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1 (lines 1-2,5-6), 2 (lines 1-4, 15-16) of the original text.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2005 by Dr. Anthony Krupp, (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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Hölderlin (1770 - 1843), "Der Gang aufs Land", appears in Gedichte 1800-1804, in Elegien
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2005-02-20
Line count: 9
Word count: 73