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Mittagsruhe haltend auf den Matten In der morschen Burg gezacktem Schatten, Vor dem Türmchen eppichübersponnen, Hab ich einen Sommerwunsch gesonnen, Während ich ein Eidechsschwänzchen blitzen Sah - und husch, verschwinden durch die Ritzen... Wenn es lauschte... wenn es meiner harrte... Wenn - das Pförtchen in der Mauer knarrte... Dem Geräusche folgend einer Schleppe, Fänd' ich eine schmale Wendeltreppe Und, von leiser Hand emporgeleitet, Droben einen Becher Wein bereitet... Dann im Erker säßen wir alleine, Plauderten von nichts im Dämmerscheine, Bis der Pendel stünde, der da tickte, Und ein blondes Haupt entschlummernd nickte, Unter seines Lides dünner Hülle Regte sich des blauen Quelles Fülle... Und das unbekannte Antlitz trüge Ähnlichkeiten und Geschwisterzüge Alles Schönen, was mir je entgegen Trat auf allen meinen Erdewegen... Was ich Tiefstes, Zartestes empfunden, Wär' an dieses blonde Haupt gebunden Und in eine Schlummernde vereinigt, Was mich je beseligt und gepeinigt... Dringend hätt' es mich emporgerufen Dieser Wendeltreppe Trümmerstufen, Daß ich einem ganzen, vollen Glücke Stillen Kuß auf stumme Lippen drücke... Einmal nur in einem Menschenleben - Aber nimmer wird es sich begeben!
Authorship:
- by Conrad Ferdinand Meyer (1825 - 1898) [author's text not yet checked 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 Othmar Schoeck (1886 - 1957), "Reisephantasie", op. 60 no. 3 (1946) [ medium voice and piano ], from Das stille Leuchten: Liederfolge nach Gedichten von Conrad Ferdinand Meyer, no. 3, Wien: Universal Edition [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Journey-fantasy", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Fantasme de voyage", copyright © 2021, (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: 32
Word count: 177
Halting for a midday rest on the meadow in the rotting castle's serrated shadow, in front of the turret spun with ivy, I pondered on a summer wish, while I saw a lizard's tail flashing into view and whisk! disappearing into the cracks. If it were listening... if it were waiting for me... if the small door in the wall were to creak... following the noise of something dragging, I would find a narrow spiral staircase and, led upward by a gentle hand, a goblet of wine ready above... Then in the bay window we would sit alone, chatting about nothing in the twilight, until the pendulum that ticked there stopped moving, and a blond head nodded in slumber, and under the thin veil of its lids, there would stir the wealth of a blue spring... And the unknown face would wear the semblance and sister-traits to all the beauty I ever came across as I wandered all my earthly paths... What I had most deeply and tenderly felt was bound to this blond head and in this slumbering woman united; everything that had ever made me happy or tormented me... Urgently it summoned me to ascend this spiral staircase with its ruined steps, so that on the silent lips of whole and full Good Fortune I might press a quiet kiss... Just once in all my human life - yet it will never happen!
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Conrad Ferdinand Meyer (1825 - 1898)
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 32
Word count: 236