by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)
Translation by Marie Luise Gothein (1863 - 1931)
The sleep that flits on baby's eyes
Language: English after the Bangla (Bengali)
Our translations: GER
The sleep that flits on baby's eyes - does anybody know from where it comes? Yes, there is a rumour that it has its dwelling where, in the fairy village among shadows of the forest dimly lit with glow-worms, there hang two timid buds of enchantment. From there it comes to kiss baby's eyes. The smile that flickers on baby's lips when he sleeps - does anybody know where it was born? Yes, there is a rumour that a young pale beam of a crescent moon touched the edge of a vanishing autumn cloud, and there the smile was first born in the dream of a dew-washed morning - the smile that flickers on baby's lips when he sleeps. The sweet, soft freshness that blooms on baby's limbs - does anybody know where it was hidden so long? Yes, when the mother was a young girl it lay pervading her heart in tender and silent mystery of love - the sweet, soft freshness that has bloomed on baby's limbs.
J. Carpenter sets stanza 1
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 61, first published 1912
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 61 [text unavailable]
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 164
Der Schlaf, der auf Kindes Auge ruht Matches base text
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
Der Schlaf, der auf Kindesauge ruht - weiß jemand, woher er kommt? Es geht ein Gerücht, er hat seine Wohnung in Feeendorf, wo im Waldesschatten, den schwach Glühwürmchen erhellen, zwei zarte Zauberknospen hängen. Dort kommt er her, des Kindes Aug zu küssen. Das Lächeln, das über Kindesmund huscht im Schlaf - weiß jemand, wo er geboren ist? Es geht ein Gerücht, dass ein junger Strahl des wachsenden Monds den Rand einer vergehenden Wolke im Herbst traf - dort wird das Lächeln geboren im Traum eines taufeuchten Morgens, das Lächeln, das über Kindesmund huscht im Schlaf. Die süße Frische, die Kindesglieder sanft umblüht, weiß jemand, wo sie so lang sich barg? Ja, als die Mutter noch Braut war, da drang ihr, durchs Herz in zartem stillen Geheimnis der Liebe - die süße Frische, die Kindesglieder sanft umblüht.
Composition:
- Set to music by Jan Pieter Hendrik van Gilse (1881 - 1944), "Der Schlaf, der auf Kindes Auge ruht", 1915 [ soprano and instrumental ensemble ], from Drei Gesänge aus Rabindranath Tagore's Gitanjali, no. 1
Text Authorship:
- by Marie Luise Gothein (1863 - 1931)
Based on:
- a text in English by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 61, first published 1912
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 61 [text unavailable]
See other settings of this text.
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2023-01-29
Line count: 19
Word count: 132