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Wenn doch mein Leben fürder geht Und manchmal noch aus reichen Ranken Ein reifes Lied mir niederweht, Ich hab's auch dir zu danken. Du weißt es nicht, denn ich begrub Dein Bild in meiner Nächte Schweigen. Und was mein Lied zu Tage hub, War schon zuvor dein eigen.
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.
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 42.
Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Wenn doch mein Leben", written 1898, appears in Maria, no. 5 [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 Werner Bühler (1904 - 1968), "Wenn doch mein Leben fürder geht" [ voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Eduard Pütz , "Wenn doch mein Leben fürder geht ", 1951 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder nach Texten von Hermann Hesse, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Christian Immo Schneider (b. 1935), "Wenn doch mein Leben", 1980 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Xaver Zintl (1903 - 1987), "Wenn doch mein Leben fürder geht", op. 8 no. 4 (1950) [ baritone and piano ], from Maria - Liederzyklus für Bariton, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-05-01
Line count: 8
Word count: 48
Cependant que ma vie avance Si parfois d'un sarment généreux Descend encore vers moi le souffle mûr d'un chant, Je dois aussi t'en remercier. Tu ne le sais pas, car j'ai enfoui Ton image dans le mutisme de mes nuits, Et ce qu'aujourd'hui mon chant révéla, Était déjà auparavant pénétré de toi.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of title(s):
"Wenn doch mein Leben" = "Cependant que ma vie"
"Wenn doch mein Leben fürder geht" = "Cependant que ma vie avance"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2017 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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Wenn doch mein Leben", written 1898, appears in Maria, no. 5
This text was added to the website: 2017-06-17
Line count: 8
Word count: 52