Too late | Old-fashioned, with slender pilasters, stands

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by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Zu spät

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Altmodisch steht mit schmächtigen Pilastern
Wie sonst das Schloß. Auf violetten Astern
Irrt noch ein später Falter her und hin
Mit krankem Flügelschlagen,
Und welke Beete sagen,
Daß ich zu spät gekommen bin.

Und am Balkon in seidenen Gewändern,
Mit stolzen Augen in vertrübten Rändern,
Steht trüb und stolz die blasse Königin,
Und will die Hand erheben,--
Und kann mir nicht vergeben,
Daß ich zu spät gekommen bin.

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, pages 10-11.

Text Authorship:

by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Zu spät", subtitle: "(1897)", written 1897 [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 Christian Immo Schneider (b. 1935), "Zu spät", 1980 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Too late", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Trop tard", copyright © 2019, (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: 2009-06-02
Line count: 12
Word count: 68

Too late

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Old-fashioned, with slender pilasters, stands
The castle as usual.  Upon violet asters
A belated butterfly still strays back and forth
With a sickly beating of its wings,
And withered flowerbeds disclose
That I have arrived too late.

And at the balcony in silken garments,
With proud eyes rimmed in sadness,
Stands gloomily and proudly the pale queen,
And wants to lift her hand, --
And cannot forgive me
For arriving too late.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 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), "Zu spät", subtitle: "(1897)", written 1897
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2017-10-31
Line count: 12
Word count: 71