by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Baum im Herbst
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG
Noch ringt verzweifelt mit den kalten
Oktobernächten um sein grünes Kleid
Mein Baum. Er liebt's, ihm ist es leid,
Er trug es fröhliche Monde lang,
Er möchte es gern behalten.
 
Und wieder eine Nacht, und wieder
Ein rauher Tag. Der Baum wird matt
Und kämpft nicht mehr und gibt die Glieder
Gelöst dem fremden Willen hin,
Bis der ihn ganz bezwungen hat.
 
Nun aber lacht er golden rot
Und ruht im Blauen tief beglückt.
Da er sich müd dem Sterben bot,
Hat ihn der Herbst, der milde Herbst
Zu neuer Herrlichkeit geschmückt.

Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.

Confirmed with Hermann Hesse, Sämtliche Werke, herausgegeben von Volker Michels, Band 10 Die Gedichte, bearbeitet von Peter Huber, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2002, page 166.


Text 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):

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Arbre a la tardor", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Tree in Autumn", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2009-04-29
Line count: 15
Word count: 92

Tree in Autumn
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
My tree still battles frantically over its green garb
With the cold October nights.
It loves [its garment], would be sorry to lose it;
[My tree] wore it for many happy moons,
And would gladly keep it longer.
 
And again a night, and again
A harsh day.  The tree grows weary
And no longer fights and, resolved,
Gives its limbs up to the foreign will,
Until that will has conquered it utterly.
 
But now it laughs in golden redness
And rests in the blueness, deeply happy.
When the tree had wearily offered itself to death,
Autumn, gentle autumn
Adorned it with new glory.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 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: 2016-09-17
Line count: 15
Word count: 103