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Vom Baum des Lebens fällt Mir Blatt um Blatt, O taumelbunte Welt, Wie machst du satt, Wie machst du satt und müd, Wie machst du trunken! Was heut noch glüht, Ist bald versunken. Bald klirrt der Wind Über mein braunes Grab, Über das kleine Kind Beugt sich die Mutter herab. Ihre Augen will ich wiedersehn, Ihr Blick ist mein Stern, Alles andre mag gehn und verwehn, Alles stirbt, alles stirbt gern. Nur die ewige Mutter bleibt, Von der wir kamen, Ihr spielender Finger schreibt In die flüchtige Luft unsre Namen.
K. Penderecki sets lines 1-8
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 321 (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 256.
Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Vergänglichkeit", written 1919, appears in Klingsors letzter Sommer, first published 1919? [author's text checked 3 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 Yrjö Henrik Kilpinen (1892 - 1959), "Vergänglichkeit", op. 98 no. 10 (1942), from Herbst, no. 10 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Krause (b. 1889), "Vergänglichkeit", op. 48 no. 3 [ voice and piano ], from Zwölf Gedichte von Hermann Hesse, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ernst Ludwig Leitner (b. 1943), "Vergänglichkeit", 1975, first performed 1977 [ medium voice and piano ], from Vier Lieder, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Fabian Müller (b. 1964), "Vergänglichkeit", first performed 2001 [ mezzo-soprano and orchestra ], from Nachtgesänge, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hans Nahme , "Vergänglichkeit", 1949 [ four-part mixed chorus and piano ], from Herbstkantate nach Gedichten von Hermann Hesse, no. 19 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Krzysztof Penderecki (1933 - 2020), "Vergänglichkeit", 2005, first performed 2005, lines 1-8 [ voices and orchestra ], from Symphony No. 8: Piesni Przemijania (Songs of Transitoriness) (Lieder der Vergänglichkeit), no. 9 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Leo Schiffer , "Vergänglichkeit" [ alto or mezzo-soprano and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Christian Immo Schneider (b. 1935), "Vergänglichkeit", op. 41 no. 7 [ high voice and piano ], from Wanderung - Eine Liederfolge für hohe Stimme nach Gedichten von Hermann Hesse, no. 7 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Othmar Schoeck (1886 - 1957), "Vergänglichkeit", op. 44 (Zehn Lieder nach Gedichten von Hermann Hesse) no. 10 (1929), published 1931 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Karl Scholz , "Vergänglichkeit", 1953 [ voice and piano ], from Sechs Lieder, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Efimeritat", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Mortality", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Fugacité", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: John Versmoren , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 90
De l'arbre de vie tombe Feuille après feuille, Ô monde, tourbillonnant de couleurs, Comme tu rassasies, Comme tu rassasies et épuises, Comme tu enivres ! Ce qui brille encore aujourd'hui Sera bientôt éteint. Bientôt le vent soufflera Sur ma tombe brune, Sur le petit enfant La mère s'incline. Je veux voir ses yeux encore, Son regard est mon étoile, Tout le reste peut aller et disparaître, Tout meurt, tout meurt volontiers. Seule reste la mère éternelle D'où nous sommes venus, Son doigt en jouant écrit Nos noms dans l'air qui passe.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2018 by Guy Laffaille, (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), "Vergänglichkeit", written 1919, appears in Klingsors letzter Sommer, first published 1919?
This text was added to the website: 2018-11-04
Line count: 20
Word count: 90