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Mit gelben Birnen hänget Und voll mit wilden Rosen Das Land in den See, Ihr holden Schwäne, Und trunken von Küssen [Tunkt]1 [ihr das Haupt Ins heilignüchterne Wasser.]2 Weh mir, wo nehm' ich, wenn Es Winter ist, die Blumen, und wo Den Sonnenschein, Und Schatten der Erde? Die Mauern [stehn]3 Sprachlos und kalt, im Winde Klirren die Fahnen.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Müller: "Taucht"; omitted by Ligeti
2 omitted by Ligeti
3 Cerha: "stehen"
Text Authorship:
- by Friedrich Hölderlin (1770 - 1843), "Hälfte des Lebens", appears in Gedichte 1800-1804, in Nachtgesänge [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 Hauke Jasper Berheide , "Hälfte des Lebens", 2020 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder nach Hölderlin, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 61 no. 5, published 1963, from Sechs Hölderlin-Fragmente, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Fritz Büchtger (1903 - 1978), "Hälfte des Lebens", 1975-1976 [ voice and piano ], from Vor der Tür (Als Requiem für Elisabeth Büchtger), no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Friedrich Cerha (b. 1926), "Mit gelben Birnen hänget", 1995, from Acht Sätze nach Hölderlin-Fragmenten, no. 7 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Harald Genzmer (1909 - 2007), "Hälfte des Lebens", 1940-90? [sung text not yet checked]
- by Olivier Greif (1950 - 2000), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 270 no. 8 (1991) [ voice and piano ], from Wie Vögel…, no. 8 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Josef Matthias Hauer (1883 - 1959), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 21 no. 2, copyright © 1924 [ voice and piano ], from Hölderlin Lieder, no. 2, Berlin, Schlesinger [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paavo Heininen (b. 1938), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 30 no. 3 (1973), first performed 1975 [ mezzo-soprano and piano or strings ], from Schatten der Erde, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Philippe Hersant (b. 1948), "Hälfte des Lebens", 1992 [ soprano and instrumental ensemble (9 instruments) ], from Lebenslauf, 6 mélodies pour soprano solo et ensemble instrumental, no. 3, Paris, Durand [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Karl Horwitz, né Curt Horwitz (1884 - 1925), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 4 (Sechs Gedichte) no. 3, published 1919 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gordon Kerry (b. 1961), "Hälfte des Lebens" [ soprano and piano ], from Drei Jahreszeitenslieder, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Gideon Klein (1919 - 1945), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 1 no. 2 (1940) [ high voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder = Tři písně, no. 2, also set in Czech (Čeština) [sung text not yet checked]
- by René Leibowitz (1913 - 1972), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 38 no. 3 [ baritone and instrumental ensemble (8 instruments) ], from Serenade for baritone and 8 instruments, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ernst Ludwig Leitner (b. 1943), "Hälfte des Lebens", published 1995, first performed 1995 [ soprano, oboe, and harp ], from Elegien nach Texten von Friedrich Hölderlin, Georg Trakl und Ludwig Christoph Heinrich Hölty für Sopran, Oboe und Harfe, no. 3, Vienna, Doblinger [sung text not yet checked]
- by György Ligeti (1923 - 2006), "Hälfte des Lebens" [ choral, a cappella ], from Drei Phantasien nach Friedrich Hölderlin, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Daan Manneke (b. 1939), "Hälfte des Lebens", 2009, copyright © 2009 [ chorus ], from Liturgien, no. 3, Amsterdam : Muziek Centrum Nederland [sung text not yet checked]
- by Josef Ivar Müller (1892 - 1969), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 40 no. 1, published [1935] [ women's chorus and violoncello or horn ], from Drei Chöre, no. 1, Zürich and Leipzig : Hug [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Wolfgang Nening (b. 1966), "Hälfte des Lebens", 1987 [ mixed chorus, cello, organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilhelm Petersen (1890 - 1957), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 45 (Sechs Gesänge) no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hermann Reutter (1900 - 1985), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 56 (Drei Gesänge nach Texten von Friedrich Hölderlin) no. 2, published 1944 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wolfgang Michael Rihm (1952 - 2024), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 1 no. 3 (1969) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wolfgang Michael Rihm (1952 - 2024), "Hälfte des Lebens", 2004 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Hölderlin-Gedichte, no. 2, confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Denise Isabelle Roger (b. 1924), "Hälfte des Lebens", 1962, copyright © 1979, first performed 1979 [ medium voice and piano ], from Deux poèmes de Friedrich Hölderlin, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hans Heinz Scholtys (1900 - 1945), "Hälfte des Lebens" [ voice and piano ], from 94 Lieder, no. 54 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hans Heinz Scholtys (1900 - 1945), "Hälfte des Lebens" [ voice and piano ], from 94 Lieder, no. 55 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov (1948 - 2020), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 31 no. 1, published 1980, first performed 1981 [ voice and organ ], from Schicksalslieder (Pesny sud'by), no. 1, also set in Russian (Русский) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Walter Steffens (b. 1934), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 95 no. 5 (2008) [ voice and piano ], from Fünf Gesänge auf Hölderlin für mittlere Gesangsstimme und Klavier, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hans Uwe Strübing (b. 1956), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 39 no. 2 (1999), first performed 2001 [ high voice and piano ], from Triptychon II. 3 Lieder zum Lebenslauf, für hohe Stimme und Klavier, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Stefan Wolpe (1902 - 1972), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 1 (Fünf Lieder nach Friedrich Hölderlin) no. 1 (1924) [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Czech (Čeština), a translation by Erich Adolf Saudek (1904 - 1963) , "Polivina života", copyright © ; composed by Gideon Klein.
- Also set in English, a translation by David Emery Gascoyne (1916 - 2001) , "The half of life", appears in Hölderlin's Madness, first published 1938, copyright © [an adaptation] ; composed by Eric Hudes.
- Also set in English, a translation by Manfred Fischbeck , "Half of life", copyright © ; composed by Andrea Clearfield.
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov (1948 - 2020) ; composed by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "La meitat de la vida", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The middle of life", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le milieu de la vie", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , "Mi-temps de la vie", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- IRI Irish (Gaelic) [singable] (Gabriel Rosenstock) , "Leath an tSaoil", copyright © 2015, (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: 14
Word count: 58
Avec ses poires dorées et ses roses sauvages, le paysage se reflète dans le lac, cygnes gracieux et ivres de baisers, vous plongez la tête dans l’eau lustrale sacrée. Pauvre de moi, où trouverai-je des fleurs quand l’hiver sera là, où donc la clarté du soleil et les ombres de la terre ? Les murs se dressent muets et glacés, les étendards s’entrechoquent dans le vent.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2015 by Stéphane Goldet and Pierre de Rosamel, (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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Hölderlin (1770 - 1843), "Hälfte des Lebens", appears in Gedichte 1800-1804, in Nachtgesänge
This text was added to the website: 2014-11-14
Line count: 14
Word count: 65