But secretly we thirst... | Charming, spiritual, delicate as an arabesque

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Doch heimlich dürsten wir...

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG

Anmutig, geistig, arabeskenzart
Scheint unser Leben sich wie das von Feen
In sanften Tänzen um das Nichts zu drehen,
Dem wir geopfert Sein und Gegenwart.

Schönheit der Träume, holde Spielerei,
So hingehaucht, so reinlich abgestimmt,
Tief unter deiner heiteren Fläche glimmt
Sehnsucht nach Nacht, nach Blut, nach Barbarei.

Im Leeren dreht sich, ohne Zwang und Not,
Frei unser Leben, stets zum Spiel bereit,
Doch heimlich dürsten wir nach Wirklichkeit,
Nach Zeugung und Geburt, nach Leid und Tod.

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 329-330.

Text Authorship:

by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Doch heimlich dürsten wir...", written 1901, first published 1935 [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 Ernst Pfiffner (1922 - 2011), "Doch heimlich dürsten wir...", <<1983 [ voice and piano ], from Vier Glasperlenspiel-Gesänge, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Però secretament sedeguem...", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "But secretly we thirst...", copyright © 2018, (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: 2009-05-27
Line count: 12
Word count: 77

But secretly we thirst...

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Charming, spiritual, delicate as an arabesque,
Our life, like that of fairies, appears to
Revolve about nothingness in gentle dances,
[Nothingness] to which we have sacrificed being and the present.

Beauty of dreams, lovely play,
Simply breathed forth, so purely attuned,
Far below your bright surface gleams
Yearning for night, for blood, for barbarity.

Our life revolves freely in emptiness, 
Without compulsion and distress, always ready for play,
But secretly we thirst for reality,
For begetting and birth, for suffering and death.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2018 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), "Doch heimlich dürsten wir...", written 1901, first published 1935
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2018-02-19
Line count: 12
Word count: 82