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by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)

Seifenblasen
 (Sung text for setting by H. Kurig)
 Matches original text
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
Es destilliert aus Studien und Gedanken
Vielvieler Jahre spät ein alter Mann
Sein Alterswerk, in dessen krause Ranken
Er spielend manche süße Weisheit spann.

Hinstürmt voll Glut ein eifriger Student,
Der sich in Büchereinen und Archiven
Viel umgetan und den der Ehrgeiz brennt,
Ein Jugendwerk voll genialischer Tiefen.

Es sitzt und bläst ein Knabe in den Halm,
Er füllt mit Atem farbige Seifenblasen,
Und jede prunkt und lobpreist wie ein Psalm,
All seine Seele gibt er hin im Blasen.

Und alle drei, Greis, Knabe und Student,
Erschaffen aus dem Maya-Schaum der Welten
Zaubrische Träume, die an sich nichts gelten,
In welchen aber lächelnd sich erkennt
Das ewige Licht, und freudiger entbrennt.

Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.

Confirmed with Hermann Hesse, Sämtliche Werke, herausgegeben von Volker Michels, Band 10 Die Gedichte, bearbeitet von Peter Huber, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2002, page 336.


Composition:

    Set to music by Hans-Hermann Kurig (1914 - 2002), "Seifenblasen" [ voice and piano ]

Text Authorship:

  • by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Seifenblasen", written 1937

Go to the general single-text view

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

  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Soap bubbles", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2009-05-20
Line count: 17
Word count: 111

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–Emily Ezust, Founder

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