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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. 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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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 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 verified 1 time]
- 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 verified 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Knut W. Barde) , "Sonnet to Orpheus", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2010, (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: 14
Word count: 108
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...
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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- a text in German (Deutsch) by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Die Sonette an Orpheus 1, no. 2
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 115