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Ich gehe immer von Tor zu Tor, verregnet und verbrannt; auf einmal leg ich mein rechtes Ohr in meine rechte Hand. Dann kommt mir meine Stimme vor, als hätt ich sie nie gekannt. Dann weiß ich nicht sicher, wer da schreit, ich oder irgendwer. Ich schreie um eine Kleinigkeit. Die Dichter schrein um mehr. Und endlich mach ich noch mein Gesicht mit beiden Augen zu; wie's dann in der Hand liegt mit seinem Gewicht sieht es fast aus wie Ruh. Damit sie nicht meinen ich hätte nicht, wohin ich mein Haupt tu.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Das Buch der Bilder von Rainer Maria Rilke, Leipzig, Iminsel-Verlag, 1920, page 134.
Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Das Lied des Bettlers", appears in Das Buch der Bilder, in Die Stimmen: Neun Blätter mit einem Titelblatt, no. 2, first published 1906 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Antal Doráti (1906 - 1988), "Das Lied des Bettlers", 1975, orchestrated 1978 [ bass and piano or orchestra ], from Die Stimmen, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Hanf (1894 - 1944), "Die Bettler" [ voice and chamber orchestra ], from cantata Auferstehung der Bettler, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karl Heinz Höne (1924 - 2008), "Das Lied des Bettlers" [ 4 soli and piano ], from Die Stimmen, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hans Huyssen (b. 1964), "Das Lied des Bettlers", 1992, first performed 1998 [ baritone and guitar ], from Die Stimmen, no. 1, Unveröffentliches Manuskript [sung text not yet checked]
- by René Mense (b. 1969), "Die Bettler", 1996, published 1997 [ medium voice and piano ], from Vier Lieder, no. 3, Selbstverlag [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karel Van Eycken (b. 1943), "Das Lied des Bettlers", op. 95 no. 4, copyright © 2014 [ voice and piano ], from Vier Rilke Lieder, no. 4, Uitgeverij DMP [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Albert Ernest Flemming , appears in Rainer Maria Rilke: Selected Poems, first published 1986, copyright © ; composed by Stephen Paulus.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "La chanson du mendiant", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2012-06-10
Line count: 16
Word count: 92
Je vais toujours de porte en porte, trempé jusqu'aux os et accablé ; soudain je pose mon oreille droite dans ma main droite. Monte alors ma voix, comme si je ne l 'avais jamais connue. Puis je ne sais avec certitude qui crie là, si c'est moi ou un autre. Je crie pour pas grand-chose. Les poètes crient pour bien plus. Et à la fin, je ferme mon visage, mes deux yeux clos ; comme il pèse alors de tout son poids dans ma main, il semble être presque au repos. Ainsi on ne peut dire que je n'aie pas Où poser ma tête.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2016 by Pierre Mathé, (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 Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Das Lied des Bettlers", appears in Das Buch der Bilder, in Die Stimmen: Neun Blätter mit einem Titelblatt, no. 2, first published 1906
This text was added to the website: 2016-02-15
Line count: 16
Word count: 102