When the creation was new
Language: English  after the Bangla (Bengali)
Available translation(s): GER
When the creation was new
and all the stars shone in their first splendour,
the gods held their assembly in the sky and sang
'Oh, the picture of perfection! the joy unalloyed!'
But one cried of a sudden -
'It seems that somewhere there is a break in the chain of light
and one of the stars has been lost.'
The golden string of their harp snapped, their song stopped,
and they cried in dismay -
'Yes, that lost star was the best,
she was the glory of all heavens!'
From that day the search is unceasing for her,
and the cry goes on from one to the other
that in her the world has lost its one joy!
Only in the deepest silence of night
the stars smile and whisper among themselves -
'Vain is this seeking!
unbroken perfection is over all!'
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Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
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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: 2010-11-03
Line count: 18
Word count: 143
Zu Anbeginn der Schöpfung
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English
Zu Anbeginn der Schöpfung,
als alle Stern’ in ihrem ersten Glanz erstrahlten,
versammelten die Götter sich am Himmel und sangen
„O Abbild der Vollendung! O Freude, ungetrübt!“
Doch jäh schallt eines Gottes Ruf:
„Es scheint das Band des Lichts gerissen -
verloren ist ein Stern.“
Drauf sprang der Harfe goldne Saite, verstummt ihr Lied,
und in Bestürzung riefen sie:
„Entschwunden ist der beste Stern,
die Glorie aller Himmel!“
Seit diesem Tage ruht die Suche nicht nach ihm,
der Aufschrei geht von Mund zu Mund,
dass mit dem Stern die einz’ge Freude ging verloren!
Nur in der Nächte tiefster Stille
lächelt, wispert es von Stern zu Stern:
„Ihr sucht umsonst!
Denn über allem waltet die ursprüngliche Vollkommenheit!“
About the headline (FAQ)
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This text was added to the website: 2014-07-11
Line count: 18
Word count: 116