by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Brüder
 (Sung text for setting by R. Töpfer)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG
 ... 

"Friede!" tönt es
Wie aus Märchen, aus Kinderträumen her.
"Friede."  Und kaum zu freuen
Wagt sich das Herz, ihm sind näher die Tränen.

Arme Menschen wir,
So des Guten wie Bösen fähig,
Tiere und Götter! Wie drückt das Weh,
Drückt die Scham uns heute zu Boden!

Aber wir hoffen. Und in der Brust
Lebt uns glühende Ahnung
Von den Wundern der Liebe.
Brüder! Uns steht zum Geiste,
Steht zur Liebe die Heimkehr
Und zu allen verlornen
Paradiesen die Pforte offen.

Wollet! Hoffet! Liebet!
Und die Erde gehört euch wieder.

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Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 2-5 of the original text.

Composition:

    Set to music by Rudolf Töpfer (b. 1891), "Brüder", 1949, stanzas 2-5 [ soprano and four-part mixed chorus a cappella ], MS 1954

Text Authorship:

  • by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Dem Frieden entgegen", subtitle: "Für die Waffenstillstandfeier des Radio Basel", written 1945, first published 1953?

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , subtitle: "For Radio Basel's celebration of the armistice", copyright © 2016, (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: 2009-06-14
Line count: 24
Word count: 120

Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
 ... 

"Peace!" it resounds
As out of fairy tales, out of childhood dreams.
"Peace."  And the heart scarcely dares
To rejoice; it is closer to tears.

Poor people, we,
Capable of good as of evil,
Animals and gods! How the sorrow,
The shame, crushes us to earth today!

But we hope. And in our breasts
Lives glowing premonition
Of the wonders of love.
Brethren! For us the gates stand open
For a homecoming to spirit, to love,
And to all the lost paradisiacal realms.

Resolve! Be hopeful! Love!
And the earth shall belong to you once more.

Subtitle: "For Radio Basel's celebration of the armistice"

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 2-5 of the original text.

Translated titles:
"Dem Frieden entgegen" Subtitle: "Für die Waffenstillstandsfeier des Radio Basel" = "Toward peace" Subtitle: "For Radio Basel's celebration of the cease-fire"
"Brüder" = "Brethren"
"Dem Frieden entgegen" = "Toward peace"
"Ostern 1945" = "Easter 1945"

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 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), "Dem Frieden entgegen", subtitle: "Für die Waffenstillstandfeier des Radio Basel", written 1945, first published 1953?

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This text was added to the website: 2016-11-02
Line count: 23
Word count: 140