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by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
Translation © by Knut W. Barde
Derselbe große Engel, welcher einst
Language: German (Deutsch)
Derselbe große Engel, welcher einst ihr der Gebärung Botschaft niederbrachte, stand da, abwartend daß sie ihn beachte, und sprach: Jetzt wird es Zeit, daß du erscheinst. Und sie erschrak wie damals und erwies sich wieder als die Magd, ihn tief bejahend. Er aber strahlte und, unendlich nahend, schwand er wie in ihr Angesicht - und hieß die weithin ausgegangenen Bekehrer zusammenkommen in das Haus am Hang, das Haus des Abendmahls. Sie kamen schwerer und traten bange ein: Da lag, entlang die schmale Bettstatt, die in Untergang und Auserwählung rätselhaft Getauchte, ganz unversehrt, wie eine Ungebrauchte, und achtete auf englischen Gesang. Nun da sie alle hinter ihren Kerzen abwarten sah, riß sie vom Übermaß der Stimmen sich und schenkte noch von Herzen die beiden Kleider fort, die sie besaß, und hob ihr Antlitz auf zu dem und dem... (O Ursprung namenloser Tränen-Bäche). Sie aber legte sich in ihre Schwäche und zog die Himmel an Jerusalem so nah heran, daß ihre Seele nur, austretend, sich ein wenig strecken mußte: schon hob er sie, der alles von ihr wußte, hinein in ihre göttliche Natur.
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Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Das Marien-Leben, in Vom Tode Mariae, no. 1, first published 1912 [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 Alexander Albrecht (1885 - 1958), "Vom Tode Mariae" [ soprano, chorus, orchestra ], from Drei Gedichte aus dem Marienleben von R.M. Rilke, no. 3, Eirich Theaterverlag [sung text not yet checked]
- by Maria Bach (1896 - 1978), as Emilie Maria von Bach, "Derselbe große Engel", 1956 [ voice and piano or string orchestra ], from Drei Stücke vom Tode Mariä, no. 1, Wiener Stadt- und Landesbibliothek [sung text not yet checked]
- by Maria Bach (1896 - 1978), "Vom Tode Mariä", 1956 [ voice and piano or string orchestra ], from Drei Stücke vom Tode Mariä, no. 3, Wiener Stadt- und Landesbibliothek [sung text not yet checked]
- by Helge Burggrabe (b. 1973), "Das Marienleben - V Stella maris humana", published 2006, first performed 2006 [ soprano ], from oratorio Stella Maris; Marienoratorium, no. 25, Selbstverlag [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Hindemith (1895 - 1963), "Vom Tode Mariä I", op. 27 no. 13 (1922-3), rev. 1948, from Das Marienleben, no. 13 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Siegfried Garibaldi Kallenberg (1867 - 1944), "Der Tod Mariä", 1926 [ alto, 2 violins, viola, violoncello and double bass ], from 6 Gesänge aus dem Marienleben von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Kurt Rapf (1922 - 2007), "Vom Tode Mariae", copyright © 1988 [ soprano and organ ], from Fünf Lieder aus dem Marienleben, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Josep Soler i Sardà (1935 - 2022), "Vom Tode Mariae, Stücke I", 1990 [ high voice, chorus, and organ ], from Dormició de Maria, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Knut W. Barde) , "From the Death of Mary", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , "Sur la mort de Marie I", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Morte di Maria I", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 180
From the Death of Mary
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
The same tall Angel who once brought the news Of the birth to her, Stood there, waiting for her to notice him, And spoke: Now is the time for you to appear. And she was frightened as then and proved herself Again as the maid servant, deeply affirming his command. But he was radiant and coming infinitely closer, vanished, yet shone from her face, and called The widely dispersed proselytizers To gather at the house on the hill, The house of the last supper. They arrived more heavily And entered with fear: There she lay, stretched out In the narrow bedstead, mysteriously bathed in Ruin and in being chosen, Wholly unharmed, like one who had not been used, And listened to angelic song. Then, when she saw them all waiting behind their candles, she tore herself away from the surfeit of Of the voices and with an overflowing heart yet gave away the two dresses that she possessed, And lifted her face to this one and that one... (Oh origin of nameless brooks of tears). But she settled into her weakness And pulled the heavens down to Jerusalem So closely, that her soul, As it left her, only had to stretch a little: Already he, who knew everything about her, Lifted her into her divine nature.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Knut W. Barde, (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 Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Das Marien-Leben, in Vom Tode Mariae, no. 1, first published 1912
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 217