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Aus den Edelsteinaugen Blicket ihr still und ewig Über uns späte Brüder hinweg. Liebe scheint noch Verlangen Euren schimmernd glatten Zügen bekannt. Königlich und den Gestirnen verschwistert Seid ihr Unbegreiflichen einst Zwischen Tempeln geschritten, Heiligkeit weht wie ein ferner Götterduft Heut noch um eure Stirnen, Würde um eure Knie; Eure Schönheit atmet gelassen, Ihre Heimat ist Ewigkeit. Aber wir, eure jüngeren Brüder, Taumeln gottlos ein irres Leben entlang, Allen Qualen der Leidenschaft, Jeder brennenden Sehnsucht Steht unsre zitternde Seele gierig geöffnet. Unser Ziel ist der Tod, Unser Glaube Vergänglichkeit, Keiner Zeitenferne Trotzt unser flehendes Bildnis. Dennoch tragen auch wir Heimlicher Seelenverwandschaft Merkmal In die Seele gebrannt, Ahnen Götter und fühlen vor euch, Schweigende Bilder der Vorzeit, Furchtlose Liebe. Denn sehet, Uns ist kein Wesen verhaßt, auch der Tod nicht, Leiden und Sterben Schreckt unsre Seele nicht, Weil wir tiefer zu lieben gelernt! Unser Herz ist des Vogels, Ist des Meeres und Walds, und wir nennen Sklaven und Elende Brüder, Nennen mit Liebesnamen noch Tier und Stein. So auch werden die Bildnisse Unsres vergänglichen Seins Nicht im harten Steine uns überdauern; Lächelnd werden sie schwinden Und im flüchtigen Sonnenstaub Jeder Stunde zu neuen Freuden und Qualen Ungeduldig und ewig auferstehn.
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.
Confirmed with Hermann Hesse, Sämtliche Werke, herausgegeben von Volker Michels, Band 10 Die Gedichte, bearbeitet von Peter Huber, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2002, pages 200-201.
Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "In einer Sammlung ägyptischer Bildwerke", written 1913 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Hermann Dietrich Schmidt , "In einer Sammlung ägyptischer Bildwerke", 1952 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "En una col·lecció d’estàtues egípcies", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "In a collection of Egyptian sculptures", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2014-04-23
Line count: 43
Word count: 199
From out your jewel-eyes You gaze silently and eternally Out over us latter brethren. Love still seems a yearning Well-known to your shimmeringly smooth features. Regally and united with the stars You unfathomable ones once Strode among temples, Even today, holiness still wafts about your brows Like a distant scent of the gods, Majesty [wafts] about your knees; Your beauty breathes serenely, Its homeland is eternity. But we, your younger brethren, Stagger godlessly through an insane life, To all the agonies of passion, To every flaming yearning Our trembling souls stand greedily opened. Our goal is death, Our belief is in transience, Our pleading image defies No distance of time. Nevertheless, we, too, bear The distinguishing mark of secret spiritual kinship Branded into our souls, We sense gods and before you, Silent images of former times, We feel fearless love. For behold, No creature is hated by us, not even death; Suffering and dying Do not dismay our souls, Because we have learned to love more deeply! Our heart belongs to the birds, To the seas and forests, and we call Slaves and the wretched our brothers, With terms of endearment we still address animals and rocks. Thus, too, the graven images Of our ephemeral existence Shall not outlive us in hard stone; Smilingly they shall fade away And in the fleeting solar dust Of every hour, they shall rise, impatiently And eternally, to new joys and sufferings.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 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), "In einer Sammlung ägyptischer Bildwerke", written 1913
This text was added to the website: 2014-04-23
Line count: 43
Word count: 238