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It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

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by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914)
Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

Am Abend tönen die herbstlichen Wälder
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG FRE
Am Abend tönen die herbstlichen Wälder 
Von tödlichen Waffen, die goldnen Ebenen 
Und blauen Seen, darüber die Sonne 
Düstrer hinrollt; umfängt die Nacht 
Sterbende Krieger, die wilde Klage 
Ihrer zerbrochenen Münder. 
Doch stille sammelt im Weidengrund 
Rotes Gewölk, darin ein zürnender Gott wohnt 
Das vergossne Blut sich, mondne Kühle; 
Alle Straßen münden in schwarze Verwesung. 
Unter goldnem Gezweig der Nacht und Sternen 
Es schwankt der Schwester Schatten durch den schweigenden Hain, 
Zu grüßen die Geister der Helden, die blutenden Häupter; 
Und leise tönen im Rohr die dunkeln Flöten des Herbstes. 
O stolzere Trauer! ihr ehernen Altäre 
Die heiße Flamme des Geistes nährt heute ein gewaltiger Schmerz, 
Die ungebornen Enkel.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), "Grodek", written 1914, appears in Offenbarung und Untergang [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 André Boucourechliev (1925 - 1997), "Grodek d'après Georg Trakl", published 1963, rev. 1969 [ soprano, flute, and percussion (3 players) ], London, Universal Edition [sung text not yet checked]

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

  • ENG English [singable] (Bertram Kottmann) , "Grodek", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Grodek", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2012-02-11
Line count: 17
Word count: 109

Grodek
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
At nightfall echoes of murderous weapons
resound in fall’s forests, on lowlands all-golden  
and azure lakes, above which the low sun 
more somberly rolls; the night enfolds
dying warriors, the poignant moaning
of their shatterèd mouths.
Yet quietly in the willow meads 
- blood red the clouds, wherein an ireful god dwells -
the spilled, shed blood gathers, moonlit coolness;
all the roads ending in rot and in black decay.
Under golden branches of night and of stars
the sister’s shadow staggers through the deathly still grove
to nod to the ghosts of the heroes, their heads sore and wounded;
and softly down in the reeds the dark flutes of Autumn resound.
O prouder condolement! you cast-iron altars,
the spirit’s hot flame is nourished today by an enormous pain,
the grandsons, still unborn.

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation from German (Deutsch) to English 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 German (Deutsch) by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), "Grodek", written 1914, appears in Offenbarung und Untergang
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2014-05-18
Line count: 17
Word count: 131

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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