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O Kindheit, du bist, mein fernes Tal, Verzaubert und versunken. Oft hast du mir in Not und Qual Empor aus deinem Schattenland gewunken Und deine Mädchenaugen aufgetan, Daß ich entzückt in kurzem Wahn Mich ganz zu dir zurück verlor. O dunkles Tor, O dunkle Todesstunde, Komm du heran, daß ich gesunde Und daß aus dieses Lebens Leere Ich heim zu meinen Träumen kehre!
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Composition:
- Set to music by Karl Franz Schwarz , "Kindheit", 1948 [ voice and piano (or orchestra?) ], from Musik des Einsamen, no. 9
Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Die Kindheit", written 1912
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: John Versmoren , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 63
Oh childhood, you are, my distant valley, Enchanted and rapt. In affliction and agony you have often Waved to me from your shadowland And opened your maiden-eyes, So that, enraptured in a short illusion, I completely lost myself back to you. Oh dark gateway, Oh dark hour of death, Approach that I might be healed And that from out of this life’s emptiness I may return home to my dreams!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Die Kindheit", written 1912
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This text was added to the website: 2017-10-25
Line count: 12
Word count: 70