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Göttlich ist und ewig der Geist. Ihm entgegen, dessen wir Bild und Werkzeug sind, Führt unser Weg; unsre innerste Sehnsucht ist: Werden wie Er, leuchten in Seinem Licht! Aber [irden und sterblich]1 sind wir geschaffen, Träge lastet auf uns Kreaturen die Schwere. Hold zwar und mütterlich warm umhegt uns Natur, Säugt uns Erde, bettet uns Wiege und Grab; Doch befriedet Natur uns nicht, Ihren Mutterzauber durchstößt Des unsterblichen Geistes Funke Väterlich, macht zum Manne das Kind, Löscht die Unschuld und weckt uns zu Kampf und Gewissen. So zwischen Mutter und Vater, So zwischen Leib und Geist Zögert der Schöpfung gebrechlichstes Kind, Zitternde Seele Mensch, des Leidens fähig Wie kein anderes Wesen, und fähig des Höchsten: Gläubiger, hoffender Liebe. Schwer ist sein Weg, Sünde und Tod seine Speise, Oft verirrt er ins Finstre, oft wär ihm Besser, niemals erschaffen zu sein. Ewig aber strahlt über ihm seine Sehnsucht, Seine Bestimmung: das Licht, der Geist. Und wir fühlen: ihn, den Gefährdeten, Liebt der Ewige mit besonderer Liebe. Darum ist uns irrenden Brüdern Liebe möglich noch in der Entzweiung, Und nicht Richten und Haß, Sondern geduldige Liebe, Liebendes Dulden führt Uns dem heiligen Ziele näher.
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
• A. Piechler • A. Piechler • A. Piechler • A. Piechler • A. Piechler • A. PiechlerA. Piechler sets line 1 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
A. Piechler sets lines 2-4 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
A. Piechler sets lines 5-13 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
A. Piechler sets lines 14-19 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
A. Piechler sets lines 20-24 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
A. Piechler sets lines 25-32 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
About the headline (FAQ)
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.
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Hermann Hesse, Sämtliche Werke, herausgegeben von Volker Michels, Band 10 Die Gedichte, bearbeitet von Peter Huber, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2002, pages 324-325.
1 Piechler (part 4 of the cantata): "sterblich und irden"Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Besinnung", written 1933 [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 Wilhelm Lache , "Besinnung", 1950 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Stefan Lindblad , "Besinnung", <<1984 [ baritone and organ ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Arthur Piechler (1896 - 1974), "Göttlich ist und ewig der Geist", op. 49 no. 2, published 1936, line 1 [ TBarB chorus and orchestra or piano ], from Vom Baum des Lebens (Besinnung) - Kantate für Sopran, Alt, vierstimmigen Männerchor und Orchester, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Arthur Piechler (1896 - 1974), "Ihm entgegen, dessen wir Bild und Werkzeug sind", op. 49 no. 3, published 1936, lines 2-4 [ soprano, four-part men's chorus, and orchestra or piano ], from Vom Baum des Lebens (Besinnung) - Kantate für Sopran, Alt, vierstimmigen Männerchor und Orchester, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Arthur Piechler (1896 - 1974), "Aber sterblich und irden sind wir geschaffen", op. 49 no. 4, published 1936, lines 5-13 [ alto, four-part men's chorus, and orchestra or piano ], from Vom Baum des Lebens (Besinnung) - Kantate für Sopran, Alt, vierstimmigen Männerchor und Orchester, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Arthur Piechler (1896 - 1974), "So zwischen Mutter und Vater", op. 49 no. 5, published 1936, lines 14-19 [ duet for soprano and alto with orchestra or piano ], from Vom Baum des Lebens (Besinnung) - Kantate für Sopran, Alt, vierstimmigen Männerchor und Orchester, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Arthur Piechler (1896 - 1974), "Schwer ist sein Weg, Sünde und Tod seine Speise", op. 49 no. 6, published 1936, lines 20-24 [ soprano, alto, four-part men's chorus, and orchestra or piano ], from Vom Baum des Lebens (Besinnung) - Kantate für Sopran, Alt, vierstimmigen Männerchor und Orchester, no. 6 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Arthur Piechler (1896 - 1974), "Und wir fühlen: ihn, den Gefährdeten", op. 49 no. 7, published 1936, lines 25-32 [ soprano, alto, four-part men's chorus, and orchestra or piano ], from Vom Baum des Lebens (Besinnung) - Kantate für Sopran, Alt, vierstimmigen Männerchor und Orchester, no. 7 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Rudolf Töpfer (b. 1891), "Besinnung", 1957 [ four-part men's chorus a cappella ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , 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: 2009-05-21
Line count: 32
Word count: 193
Godly is and eternal the Spirit. Toward Him, whose image and tool we are, Our path leads us; our innermost longing is: To become like Him, to shine in His light! But we were created [earthly and mortal]1, Heaviness rests torpidly upon us creatures. To be sure, kindly and with motherly warmth, nature embraces us, The earth suckles us, beds us in cradle and grave; But nature does not satisfy us, Its motherly enchantment is pierced By the immortal spark of the Spirit In a fatherly manner; it makes the child into a man, Extinguishes innocence and awakens us to battle and conscience. Thus between mother and father, Thus between body and spirit Wavers the most fragile child of creation, The human with trembling soul, capable of suffering Like no other creature, and capable of the most lofty [emotion]: Believing, hoping love. Arduous is [mankind’s] way; sin and death are his sustenance, Often he goes astray into the darkness, often it would be Better for him, never to have been created. But always his yearning casts its beams over him, His destiny: the light, the Spirit. And we feel: he, the endangered one, Is loved by the Eternal with a special love. Therefore love is still possible for us Erring brethren, even in divisiveness, And not judging and hatred But patient love, Loving forbearance leads Us closer to the holy goal.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Translated titles:
"Besinnung" = "Reflection"
"Göttlich ist und ewig der Geist" = "Godly is and eternal the spirit"
"Ihm entgegen, dessen wir Bild und Werkzeug sind" = "Toward Him, whose image and tool we are"
"Aber sterblich und irden sind wir geschaffen" = "But we were created mortal and earthly "
"So zwischen Mutter und Vater" = "Thus between mother and father"
"Schwer ist sein Weg, Sünde und Tod seine Speise" = "Arduous is [mankind’s] way; sin and death are his sustenance
"Und wir fühlen: ihn, den Gefährdeten" = "And we feel: he, the endangered one"
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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Besinnung", written 1933
This text was added to the website: 2016-09-29
Line count: 32
Word count: 233