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The song that I came to sing remains unsung to this day. I have spent my days in stringing and in unstringing my instrument. The time has not come true, the words have not been rightly set; only there is the agony of wishing in my heart. The blossom has not opened; only the wind is sighing by. I have not seen his face, nor have I listened to his voice; only I have heard his gentle footsteps from the road before my house. The livelong day has passed in spreading his seat on the floor; but the lamp has not been lit and I cannot ask him into my house. I live in the hope of meeting with him; but this meeting is not yet.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 13, first published 1912 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 13, first published 1912 [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Peter Blauvelt (b. 1957), "The song that I came to sing", 1991-2 [ mezzo-soprano, clarinet, trombone, contrabass, and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Mary Williams Campbell (1899 - 1985), "Songs unsung", 1950 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Naresh Sohal (b. 1939), "The unsung song", 1993 [ alto and instrumental ensemble ] [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Swedish (Svenska), a translation by Andrea Butenschön (1866 - 1948) , first published 1915 ; composed by Edvin Kallstenius.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
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Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le chant que je suis venu chanter", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SWE Swedish (Svenska) (Andrea Butenschön) , first published 1915
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-11-03
Line count: 20
Word count: 126
Das Lied, das ich zu singen kam, bis heute bleibt es ungesungen. Nur Saiten zog ich ab und auf an meinem Instrument. So gingen meine Tage. Die Zeit hat sich noch nicht erfüllt, das Wort noch nicht zur Melodie gefunden; indes, mich quält der Wunsch im Herzen. Die Blüte ist noch nicht geöffnet, der Wind nur säuselt über ihr. Sein Antlitz habe ich noch nicht gesehn, noch hab’ ich ihm gelauscht; nur seine sachten Schritte auf dem Weg vor meinem Haus hab’ ich vernommen. Den ganzen Tag hab’ ich verbracht sein Lager zu bereiten, die Lampe jedoch noch nicht angemacht, so kann ins Haus ich ihn nicht bitten. Ich lebe in der Hoffnung, ihn zu treffen, doch die Begegnung ist noch fern.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2014 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in English by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 13, first published 1912
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 13, first published 1912 [text unavailable]
This text was added to the website: 2014-03-31
Line count: 20
Word count: 122