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Heimat, Jugend, Lebens-Morgenstunde, Hundertmal vergessen und verloren, Kommt von dir mir eine späte Kunde Hergeweht, so quillt's aus allen Tiefen, Die verschüttet in der Seele schliefen, Süßes Licht du, Quelle neugeboren! Zwischen Einst und Heut das ganze Leben, Das wir oft für stolz und reich gehalten, Zählt nicht mehr; ich lausche hingegeben Den so jungen, den so ewig-alten Märchenbrunnen-Melodien wieder Der vergessenen alten Kinderlieder. Über allen Staub und alle Wirre Leuchtest du hinweg und alle Mühe Unerfüllten Strebens in der Irre, Lautre Quelle, reines Licht der Frühe.
E. Meyer-Olbersleben sets stanza 1
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 384-385.
Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Licht der Frühe", written 1953 [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 Walther Hecklinger , "Licht der Frühe" [ voice and piano ], from Hesse-Lieder, no. 9 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ernst Ludwig Meyer-Olbersleben (1898 - 1991), "Licht der Frühe ", 1953, stanza 1 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hildegard Quiel (1888 - 1971), "Licht der Frühe ", published 1967 [ voice and piano ], from Hesse-Lieder, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Llum de l’albada", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Early-morning light", 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: 2009-05-08
Line count: 16
Word count: 87
Homeland, youth, the morning hour of life, Forgotten and lost a hundred times, When late tidings of you come wafting Over to me, there is a welling up from all the depths That, submerged, slumbered in the soul, You sweet light, newborn wellspring! Between formerly and today the entire life That we often considered proud and rich, Is no longer of account, in surrender I harken again To the so young, to the so eternally old Melodies of the fairy-tale fountains Of forgotten old children’s songs. Above all the dust and all the confusion You shine away and [above] all the labour Of unfulfilled strivings undertaken while going astray, Unsullied wellspring, pure light of early morning.
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), "Licht der Frühe", written 1953
This text was added to the website: 2018-07-18
Line count: 16
Word count: 116