Moon, as if a dead being emerged

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by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914)

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

Mond, als träte ein Totes

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Mond, als träte ein Totes
Aus blauer Höhle,
Und es fallen der Blüten
Viele über den Felsenpfad.
Silbern weint ein Krankes
Am Abendweiher,
Auf schwarzem Kahn
Hinüberstarben Liebende.

Oder es läuten die Schritte
Elis' durch den Hain
Den Hyazinthenen
Wieder verhallend unter Eichen.
O des Knaben Gestalt
Geformt aus kristallenen Tränen,
Nächtigen Schatten.
Zackige Blitze erhellen die Schläfe
Die immerkühle,
Wenn am grünenden Hügel
Frülingsgewitter ertönt.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), no title, appears in Sebastian im Traum, in Gesang des Abgeschiedenen, in Abendland, no. 1 [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 Cesar Bresgen (1913 - 1988), "Abendland", 1972 [ alto and piano ], from Drei Lieder für Altstimme und Klavier, nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
by Anton von Webern (1883 - 1945), "Abendland I", op. 14 (Sechs Lieder nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl (Six songs on poems of Georg Trakl)) no. 2 (1919) [ voice, clarinet, violin, and cello ] [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Occident I", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Jeroen Scholten

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 19
Word count: 66

Moon, as if a dead being emerged

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Moon, as if a dead being emerged 
from a blue cave.
Scores of blossoms fall 
upon the rocky path. 
Silverly a sick creature weeps 
by the evening pond. 
On a black boat, 
crossing over, lovers died. 

Or Elis’ steps
ring through the grove, 
the hyacinthine, 
again fading away under oaks. 
O - the boy's form 
made of crystalline tears, 
shadows of night. 
Jagged lightning illumes 
his temple, ever cool, 
when o’er the greening hill
spring thunderstorms resound.

About the headline (FAQ)

Note: The title of the collection, "Abendland", could be translated "Occident"

Text 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:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), no title, appears in Sebastian im Traum, in Gesang des Abgeschiedenen, in Abendland, no. 1
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2016-06-24
Line count: 19
Word count: 76