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Komm, wir wollen einen Schmuck erdenken, Den wir eins dem andern wollen schenken, Wenn einmal wir beide arme Kinder Fürsten werden sein und Schätzefinder. Eine Kette hab ich dir ersonnen: Perlen, fern im Orient gewonnen, Perlen, die perlmuttern und opalen Mit versteckten jähen Lichtern prahlen; Dieser Perlen reiche Reihen sollen Endigen in einen wundervollen Busenstern von lachenden Rubinen, Die begierig deiner Schönheit dienen Und inmitten eine Platte tragen, Drauf in altem Golde aller Sagen Lieblichste in zarter Arbeit leuchtet: Aphrodite, welche schaumbefeuchtet Aus der Welle schwebt. Die Göttin trüge Deiner eigenen Schönheit schöne Züge. Ich hinwieder wünsche mir aus Glase Eine schlankgeformte, hohe Vase. Ihre Wände müßten meergrün schimmern Und wie Sonnenschein am Lido flimmern, Hundertfarbig mit dem Licht im Bunde, Irisspielend jegliche Sekunde. In Murano soll der beste Bläser Schaffen uns dies Wunder aller Gläser, Tag und Nächte soll er wund sich mühen, Bis ihm Farbenwunder traumhaft blühen Und aus seiner reichsten Träume Gluten Uns der fabelhafte Kelch wird fluten. Dann an warmen Abenden wie heute Tönt der Kelch ein wundersam Geläute Und wir beide hören zu und schweigen, Bis aus dem Geläute Lieder steigen, Lieder, die wie Fabeln fremder Zeiten Fremd und schön in langen Takten gleiten, Tief in Zauberglück die Seele hüllen, Aller scheuesten Sehnsucht Wunsch erfüllen. Hörst du, Gina? Hörst du nicht? -- Es ziehen Schon vom Ufer her die Melodien, Es erglänzen schon in jähen Garben Unsres Kelches tausendfache Farben! Über Redentore hängt verblühend Reif und schwer die Sonne, blutrot glühend, Die Lagune leuchtet auf in großen Feuerfeldern, blüht in roten Rosen, Feiert aller Farben reichste Feste, Überströmt mit Prunk uns stille Gäste. Nein, der Bläser soll sich nicht bemühen, Schau, hier siehst du meine Vase glühen! Irgendwo im blauen Meere hinten Werden wir auch deine Kette finden.
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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 82-83.
Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), no title, written 1902, appears in Unterwegs, in Venezianische Gondelgespräche, no. 1, first published 1911 [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 Richard Maux (1893 - 1971), "Komm, wir wollen einen Schmuck erdenken", op. 181 no. 11, published 1941 [ high voice or medium-high voice and piano ], from Italische Reise, no. 11 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Come, let us devise an adornment", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Viens, nous allons inventer une parure", copyright © 2013, (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: 2009-05-24
Line count: 52
Word count: 292
Come, let us devise an adornment That we shall give one to the other, In the future when we two poor children Shall be monarchs and finders of treasure. I have thought of a necklace for you: Pearls, harvested far in the East, Pearls, which with nacre and opal Are resplendent with sudden, concealed lights; The rich rows of these pearls shall Culminate in a wonderful Star of laughing rubies for your bosom, Which eagerly serve your beauty And at their centre hold a disk Upon which all the loveliest legends Shine in delicate work upon old gold: Aphrodite who, moistened by seafoam, Wafts forth from the wave. The goddess would Bear the lineaments of your own beauty. I, on the other hand, wish for A tall glass vase of slender form. Its sides must shimmer sea-green And flicker like sunshine by the Lido, In collusion with the light that plays iridescently With a hundred colours every second. The best glass-blower in Murano Shall create for us this wonder of all glassworks, He shall labour himself raw day and night Until wondrous colours shall bloom for him like a dream, And from the blazing of his richest dreams The marvellous glass shall flow forth. Then on warm evenings like today The chalice shall sound with a wondrous ringing And we two shall listen and be silent Until out of the ringing songs arise, Songs that, like fables of unknown times, Shall glide forth in long measures, foreign and beautiful, [That] shall wrap our souls deeply in magical happiness, And grant the wishes of every shyest yearning. Do you hear, Gina? Do you not hear? -- From the shore The melodies are already wafting hither; Already in sudden sheaves the thousandfold Colours of our chalice are sparkling! Over Il Redentore hangs, fading, Ripe and heavy, the sun, glowing blood-red, The laguna shines forth in great Fiery fields, blooms in red roses, Celebrates the richest feasts of all colours, Floods us quiet guests with splendour. No, the glass-blower shall not bother himself, Look, here you see my vase glowing! Somewhere in the blue sea yonder We shall also find your necklace.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2019 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), no title, written 1902, appears in Unterwegs, in Venezianische Gondelgespräche, no. 1, first published 1911
This text was added to the website: 2019-01-10
Line count: 52
Word count: 358