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Trunken sitz ich des Nachts im durchwehten Gehölz, An den singenden Zweigen hat Herbst genagt; Murmelnd läuft in den Keller, Meine leere Flasche zu füllen, der Wirt. Morgen, morgen haut mir der bleiche Tod Seine klirrende Sense ins rote Fleisch, Lange schon auf der Lauer Weiß ich ihn liegen, den grimmen Feind. Ihn zu höhnen, sing ich die halbe Nacht, Lalle mein trunkenes Lied in den müden Wald; Seiner Drohung zu lachen Ist meines Liedes und meines Trinkens Sinn. Vieles tat und erlitt ich, Wanderer auf langem Weg, Nun am Abend sitz ich, trinke und warte bang, Bis die blitzende Sichel Mir das Haupt vom zuckenden Herzen trennt.
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 8 Die Erzählungen. 1911-1954, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2001, page 328 (no title in this publication).
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 257.
Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Klingsor zecht im herbstlichen Walde", written 1919, appears in Klingsors letzter Sommer [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 Hans Nahme , "Klingsor zecht im herbstlichen Walde", 1949 [ voice and piano ], from Herbstkantate nach Gedichten von Hermann Hesse, no. 15 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Klingsor s’embriaga al bosc tardorenc", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Klingsor carouses in the autumnal wood", 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: 2009-05-25
Line count: 16
Word count: 108
Drunk I sit at night in the wood where the winds blow, Autumn has gnawed at the singing branches; Mumbling, the publican runs into the cellar To fill my empty bottle. Tomorrow, tomorrow, pale death shall swing His jangling scythe into my red flesh; Long, I know, he has already been Lying in wait for me, the grim enemy. In order to mock him, I sing half the night, Babble my drunken song into the weary wood; To laugh at his threatening Is the purpose of my song and my drinking. A wanderer upon a long path, I worked much and suffered much; Now at eve I sit, drink, and wait anxiously, Until the gleaming sickle Separates my head from my twitching heart.
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), "Klingsor zecht im herbstlichen Walde", written 1919, appears in Klingsors letzter Sommer
This text was added to the website: 2018-03-31
Line count: 16
Word count: 123