Melancholia | You are tremendous, you dark mouth

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by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914)

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

Die Schwermut

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE ITA

Gewaltig bist du dunkler Mund 
Im Innern, aus Herbstgewölk 
Geformte Gestalt, 
Goldner Abendstille; 
Ein grünlich dämmernder Bergstrom 
In zerbrochner Föhren 
Schattenbezirk; 
Ein Dorf, 
Das fromm in braunen Bildern abstirbt. 

Da springen die schwarzen Pferde 
Auf nebliger Weide. 
Ihr Soldaten! 
Vom Hügel, wo sterbend die Sonne rollt 
Stürzt das lachende Blut
Unter Eichen 
Sprachlos! O grollende Schwermut 
Des Heers; ein strahlender Helm 
Sank klirrend von purpurner Stirne. 

Herbstesnacht so kühle kommt 
Erglänzt mit Sternen 
Über zerbrochenem Männergebein 
Die stille Mönchin.

Text Authorship:

by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), "Die Schwermut", appears in Sebastian im Traum, in Gesang des Abgeschiedenen [author's text not yet checked 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 Stefan Heucke , "Die Schwermut", op. 1 no. 3 (1978/80) [high voice and string quintet], from Drei Gesänge nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl, no. 3. [ sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , "Melancholia", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "La mélancolie", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Malinconia", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2012-01-08
Line count: 22
Word count: 79

Melancholia

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

You are tremendous, you dark mouth
inside, a figure formed
from autumn clouds
and golden quiet of the evening;
a greenish dusking alpine stream
in the shadowed space
of broken pines;
a village
dying piously in yellowed pictures.

Black horses leap
on misty pastures.
You soldiers!
Downhill, where the sun rolls dying,
the laughing blood descends 
speechless
under oak trees! O grumbling gloom
of the army; a flashing helmet
fell rattling from a purple forehead.

Autumn night comes down so coolly,
gleaming with stars;
over broken bones of men
the silent monkess.

Translator's note: "Mönchin" is such a rare word in German that the similarly rare word "monkess" is used here instead of the more common "nun".

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2018 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), "Die Schwermut", appears in Sebastian im Traum, in Gesang des Abgeschiedenen
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2018-11-28
Line count: 22
Word count: 92