Sonnet to Orpheus | And almost a girl it was who arose

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by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)

Translation © by Knut W. Barde

Und fast ein Mädchen wars und ging...

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Und fast ein Mädchen wars und ging hervor
aus diesem einigen Glück von Sang und Leier
und glänzte klar durch ihre Frühlingsschleier
und machte sich ein Bett in meinem Ohr.

[Und schlief in mir.]¹ Und alles war ihr Schlaf.
Die Bäume, die ich je bewundert, diese 
fühlbare Ferne, die gefühlte Wiese
und jedes Staunen, das mich selbst betraf.

Sie schlief die Welt. Singender Gott, wie hast 
du sie vollendet, daß sie nicht begehrte 
erst wach zu sein? Sieh, sie erstand und schlief. 

Wo ist ihr Tod? O, wirst du dies Motiv 
erfinden noch, eh sich dein Lied verzehrte? --
Wo sinkt sie hin aus mir? ... Ein Mädchen fast...

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• H. Birtwistle

H. Birtwistle sets line 5

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¹ omitted by Birtwistle.

Text Authorship:

by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Die Sonette an Orpheus 1, no. 2 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Michael Berkeley (b. 1948), "Und fast ein Mädchen wars und ging hervor" [ voice and cello ], from Three Rilke Sonnets, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Harrison Birtwistle, Sir (1934 - 2022), "Elegy 15, Sonnet I, 2", 2003-04, first performed 2004, line 5 [ oboe, harp and countertenor ], from Orpheus elegies, no. 11, Boosey & Hawkes [sung text checked 1 time]
by Nicolas Bolens (b. 1963), "And slept inside me", 1995 [ string quartet ], from Streichquartett; Sur quelques Mots de Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 2, Editions Papillon [sung text not yet checked]
by Paul Brantley , "Und fast ein Mädchen" [ voice and piano ], from Rilke Lieder, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
by Alexis Chalier (b. 1960), "Und fast ein Mädchen wars und ging hervor", 1996 [ chorus and orchestra ], from Le mythe d'Orphée, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Robert Edler (1912 - 1986), "Sonett 2 (Sprecher)", op. 59 no. 2 (1970) [ tenor, speaker, chorus and orchestra ], from Sonette an Orpheus, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Stanley Grill (b. 1953), "Und fast ein Mädchen", copyright © 2012 [ tenor and piano ], from Sonnets to Orpheus, no. 2, confirmed with an online score [sung text checked 1 time]
by Nizan Leibovich (b. 1969), "Und fast ein Mädchen wars", 1996 [ mixed chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Eugenia Manolides (b. 1975), "Und fast ein Mädchen wars und ging hervor" [ soprano, chorus and orchestra ], from Tempel im Gehör II [sung text not yet checked]
by Israel David Martínez Espinosa (b. 1969), "Und fast ein Mädchen wars und ging hervor", 1993 [ baritone and orchestra ], from La jeune martyre, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
by Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928 - 2016), "Und fast ein Mädchen wars ", 1955 [ voice and piano or orchestra ], from Fünf Sonette an Orpheus, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in English, a translation by Edward Snow , no title, copyright © ; composed by Robert Cogan.
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Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by François Cotinaud.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Vladimir Borisovich Mikushevich (b. 1936) , no title, copyright © ; composed by Vladislav Mikhailovich Lebedev.
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Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 108

Sonnet to Orpheus

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

And almost a girl it was who arose
from this united joy of song and lyre
and shone clearly through her veils of Spring
and made her bed in my ear.

and slept in me. And everything was her sleep.
The trees I ever marveled at,
this palpable distance, the sensed meadow
and every wonder about myself.

She slept the world.  Singing God, how were you 
able to perfect her, without her 
first desiring to be awake? Look, she came into being and slept.  

Where is her death? Oh, will you still invent this motive,
before your song would consume itself?
As she slips away from me, where will I find her?  A girl almost...

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 Die Sonette an Orpheus 1, no. 2
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 115