First snowfall | You have grown old, green year

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by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Erster Schnee

(Sung text for setting by K. Scholz)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG ENG FRE

Alt geworden bist Du, grünes Jahr,
Blickst schon welk und trägst schon Schnee im Haar,
Gehst schon müd und hast den Tod im Schritt-
Ich begleite Dich, ich sterbe mit.

Zögernd geht das bange Herze den Pfad,
Angstvoll schläft im Schnee die Wintersaat.
Wieviel Äste brach mir schon der Wind,
Deren Narben nun mein Panzer sind!
Wieviel bittere Tode starb ich schon!
Neugeburt war jedes Todes Lohn.

Sei willkommen, Tod, du dunkles Tor!
Jenseits läutet hell des Lebens Chor.

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.

Composition:

Karl Scholz

Drei Gedichte von Hermann Hesse

Text Authorship:

by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Erster Schnee", written 1919

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Primera neu", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "First snowfall", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Laura Kinderman) , "First snow", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Première neige", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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

This text was added to the website: 2009-06-04
Line count: 12
Word count: 80

First snowfall

(Sung text translation for setting by K. Scholz)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

You have grown old, green year,
You already look withered and are wearing snow upon your hair,
You already walk tiredly and have death in your footfall --
I accompany you, I die along with you.

Haltingly my apprehensive heart walks the pathway,
Fearfully the winter grain sleeps in the snow.
How many branches the wind has already broken for me,
Whose scars are now my carapace!
How many bitter deaths have I already died!
Rebirth has been the recompense of every death.

Welcome, death, you dark gateway!
The chorus of life peals out brightly on the other side.

¹ Scholz: "apprehensive heart walks the"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2010 by Sharon Krebs, (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 Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Erster Schnee", written 1919
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This text was added to the website: 2010-06-19
Line count: 12
Word count: 99