Ripe, dipped in fire | Ripe, dipped in fire, cooked

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by Friedrich Hölderlin (1770 - 1843)

Translation © by John Glenn Paton

Reif sind, in Feuer getaucht

(Sung text for setting by H. Reutter)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Reif sind, in Feuer getaucht, gekochet 
Die Frücht' und auf der Erde geprüfet und ein Gesetz ist,
Daß alles hineingeht, Schlangen gleich,
prophetisch träumend auf 
Den Hügel des Himmels. Und vieles 
Wie auf den Schultern eine 
Last von Scheitern ist 
Zu behalten.  ...  Nämlich unrecht, 
Wie Rosse, gehn die gefangenen 
Element und alten 
Gesetze der Erd. Und immer 
Ins Ungebundene geht eine Sehnsucht.  ... 
Vorwärts aber und rückwärts wollen wir 
Nicht sehn. Uns wiegen lassen, wie 
Auf schwankem Kahne der See.

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanza 1 of the original text.

Composition:

Hermann Reutter

Fünf Fragmente von Friedrich Hölderlin

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Hölderlin (1770 - 1843), "Mnemosyne", Third Version

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English (John Glenn Paton) , "Ripe, dipped in fire", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , "Ils ont mûri, les fruits", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: John Glenn Paton [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2009-02-08
Line count: 51
Word count: 275

Ripe, dipped in fire

(Sung text translation for setting by H. Reutter)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Ripe, dipped in fire, cooked 
are the fruits and tested on the earth, and it is a law,
that everything goes in, like snakes,
prophetically dreaming
on the grave-mound of Heaven. And much, 
as on the shoulders
a load of logs,
must be kept. ...
... For crookedly, 
like horses, go the trapped 
elements and old 
laws of the earth. And always 
there is yearning that seeks the unbound.  ...
...
But we want to look forwards and not backwards.
Let ourselves be cradled
as on a swaying sea-skiff.

Note: the text above is taken from stanza 1 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2015 by John Glenn Paton, (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 Friedrich Hölderlin (1770 - 1843), "Mnemosyne", Third Version
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This text was added to the website: 2015-12-17
Line count: 17
Word count: 86