by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914)
Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

Sonja
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Available translation(s): ENG FRE
Abend kehrt in alten Garten;
Sonjas Leben, blaue Stille.
Wilder Vögel Wanderfahrten;
Kahler Baum in Herbst und Stille.

Sonnenblume, sanftgeneigte
Über Sonjas weißes Leben.
Wunde, rote, niegezeigte
Läßt in dunklen Zimmern leben,

Wo die blauen Glocken läuten;
Sonjas Schritt und sanfte Stille.
Sterbend Tier grüßt im Entgleiten,
Kahler Baum in Herbst und Stille.

Sonne alter Tage leuchtet
Über Sonjas weiße Brauen,
Schnee, der ihre Wangen feuchtet,
Und die Wildnis ihrer Brauen.

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 (Bertram Kottmann) , "Sonja", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Sonia", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2012-03-05
Line count: 16
Word count: 71

Sonja
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Evening sinks on ancient garden;
Sonja’s being, deep blue stillness.
Birds of passage on their wanderings;
balding tree in autumn stillness.

Sunflow’r, bent in gentle manner 
over Sonja’s life of whiteness.
Wound, still red and ne’er revealèd,
makes her live in darkened chambers,

where the azure bells are ringing;
Sonja’s step and gentle stillness.
Dying beast greets in deceasing,
balding tree in autumn stillness.

Sun of bygone days is gleaming
over Sonja’s brows of whiteness,
snowflakes, that her cheeks have moistened
and her wildly growing brows.

Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.

    Bertram Kottmann.  Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de

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Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2016-06-20
Line count: 16
Word count: 86