Hört mich, Ihr grausamen Götter!
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): ENG
Hört mich, Ihr grausamen Götter!
Hab' ich mein Dasein erfleht?
War es mein Wille, zu leben?
Schuf ich mich so, wie ich wurde?--
Was straft Ihr mich dennoch?--
Konntet Ihr nicht einen Felsen
Schaffen an meiner Statt? So
Hart und so kalt, der der Meerfluth
Stand hält? Mich fassen die Fluthen --
Ich trotze und sinke!
O Ihr erhabenen Götter
Kennet nicht menschliches Fühlen,
Fern ist Euch Bangen und Seufzen,--
Darum erschuft Ihr den Menschen
Als fühlendes Spielzeug.
Nimmermehr will ich erflehen
Gaben von Euch; ja, ich flehe
Jetzo schon nicht mehr -- Ihr lächelt
Kalt doch und fern wie der Himmel,
Ihr grausamen Götter!
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with all available footnotes
Confirmed with: Carmen Sylva, Sappho, Leipzig: F.A. Brockhaus, 1880, pages 31-32.
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , 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: 2014-12-26
Line count: 20
Word count: 103
Hear me, you cruel gods!
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
Hear me, you cruel gods!
Did I plead for my existence?
Was it my will to live?
Did you create me as I have become?--
Why do you punish me nonetheless? --
Could you not have created
A rock in my place, so
Hard and so cold, that could stand up against
The flood of the sea? I am caught by the torrents--
I defy them and sink!
Oh you august gods
Do not know human feelings,
Anxiety and sighs are far from you,--
Therefore you created humankind
To be a feeling toy for yourselves.
Nevermore shall I implore you
For gifts; yes, I already
No longer implore you -- you smile
But coldly and distantly as the heavens,
You cruel gods!
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with all available footnotes
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:
This text was added to the website: 2014-12-26
Line count: 20
Word count: 120