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Unruhvoll und reiselüstern Aus zerstücktem Traum erwacht Hör ich seine Weise flüstern Meinen Bambus in der Nacht. Statt zu ruhen, statt zu liegen Reißt michs aus den alten Gleisen, Weg zu stürzen, weg zu fliegen, Ins Unendliche zu reisen. Einst vor tausend Jahren gab es Eine Heimat, einen Garten, Wo im Beet des Vogelgrabes Aus dem Schnee die Krokus starrten. Vogelschwingen möcht ich breiten Aus dem Bann, der mich umgrenzt, Dort hinüber, zu den Zeiten, Deren Gold mir heut noch glänzt.
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 397. This is the second version of the poem (zweite Fassung). The first version can be found here.
Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Einst vor tausend Jahren", written 1961 [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 Lothar Hundertmark (1902 - 1985), as Mark Lothar, "Einst vor tausend Jahren", op. 67 no. 4, published 1967 [ voice and instrumental ensemble ], from Musik des Einsamen - Ein Liederzyklus für Gesang und 7 Instrumente, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ernst Ludwig Leitner (b. 1943), "Einst vor tausend Jahren", 1975, first performed 1977 [ medium voice and piano ], from Vier Lieder, no. 4, note: this may be the wrong text for this setting (there is another version of the poem) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hildegard Quiel (1888 - 1971), "Einst vor tausend Jahren", published 1967 [ voice and piano ], from Hesse-Lieder, no. 7 [sung text checked 1 time]
Set in a modified version by Bernhard Rövenstrunck.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Temps ha, fa mil anys", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Once a thousand years ago", 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: 2009-05-28
Line count: 16
Word count: 81
Full of unrest and eager for a journey, Awakened from a fragmented dream, I hear it whispering its lay -- My bamboo in the night. Instead of resting, instead of lying down, Out of the old paths I feel wrested, To rush away, to fly away, To travel into the infinite. Once a thousand years ago There was a homeland, a garden, Where in the flowerbed of the bird’s grave The crocuses peered out of the snow. I would like to spread birds’ wings To escape from the spell that surrounds me, [To fly] over yonder, to the times Whose gold still shines for me today.
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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Einst vor tausend Jahren", written 1961
This text was added to the website: 2018-05-03
Line count: 16
Word count: 105