by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
Stiller Freund der vielen Fernen, fühle
Language: German (Deutsch)
Our translations: FRE
Stiller Freund der vielen Fernen, fühle, wie dein Atem noch den Raum vermehrt. Im Gebälk der finsteren Glockenstühle laß dich läuten. [Das, was an dir zehrt,]1 wird ein Starkes über dieser Nahrung. Geh in der Verwandlung aus und ein. Was ist deine leidendste Erfahrung? Ist dir Trinken bitter, werde Wein. Sei in dieser Nacht aus Übermaß Zauberkraft am Kreuzweg Deiner Sinne, ihrer seltsamen Begegnung Sinn. Und wenn dich das Irdische vergaß, zu der stillen Erde sag: Ich rinne. Zu dem raschen Wasser sprich: Ich bin.
H. Birtwistle sets stanza 4 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
H. Birtwistle sets line 3-4 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 omitted by Birtwistle.
Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Die Sonette an Orpheus 2, no. 29 [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 Holger Arden (b. 1946), "Sonett XXIX Teil 2", 2022 [ tenor, mixed chorus, hand bells, 2 lyres, clarinet and piano ], from Die Orpheus Sonetten, no. 3, NB noter [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bruce Christian Bennett (b. 1968), "Stiller Freund der vielen Fernen", from Two Lieder, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Harrison Birtwistle, Sir (1934 - 2022), "Elegy 26, Sonnet II, 29", 2003-04, stanza 4 [ oboe, harp and countertenor ], from Orpheus elegies, no. 10, Boosey & Hawkes [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Harrison Birtwistle, Sir (1934 - 2022), "Elegy 22, Sonnet II, 29", 2003-04, first performed 2004, line 3-4 [ oboe, harp and countertenor ], from Orpheus elegies, no. 19, Boosey & Hawkes [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Nicolas Bolens (b. 1963), "Wie dein Atem" [ mixed chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Joachim Brackx (b. 1975), "Stiller Freund", 2010, first performed 2010 [ mixed chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Edler (1912 - 1986), "Sonett 29 b (Sprecher, Solo und Chor)", op. 59 no. 16 [ tenor, speaker, chorus and orchestra ], from Sonette an Orpheus, no. 16 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Annachiara Gedda (b. 1986), "Ich rinne, Ich bin", first performed 2017 [ soprano and instrumental ensemble ], Universal Edition [sung text not yet checked]
- by Francesc Xavier Gelabert i Muntaner (b. 1976), "Stiller Freund", 2011 [ soprano, male voice, flute, and percussion ], from Die Stille vor Stille, no. 1, revised 2017; Donemus [sung text not yet checked]
- by Francesc Xavier Gelabert i Muntaner (b. 1976), "Stiller Freund", 2011 [ soprano, male voice, flute, and percussion ], from Die Stille vor Stille, no. 7, revised 2017; Donemus [sung text not yet checked]
- by Peter Michael Hamel (b. 1947), "Stiller Freund der vielen Fernen, fühle", 2016, published 2017 [ medium voice and piano ], from Vier Sonette an Orpheus, no. 4, Berlin, Verlag Neue Musik [sung text not yet checked]
- by Lukas Haselböck , "Stiller Freund der vielen Fernen", 1997 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Zwei Lieder nach Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Hawkins (b. 1944), "Stiller Freund der vielen Fernen", 1997, first performed 1998 [ tenor and piano ], from Drei Sonette an Orpheus, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gérard Hilpipre (b. 1959), "Stiller Freund der vielen Fernen...", 2014 [ voice and orchestra ], from Rilke-Lieder, no. 4, Editions Delatour [sung text not yet checked]
- by Willy Kehrer (1902 - 1976), "Stiller Freund", op. 126 no. 4 (1950), first performed 1952 [ soprano, baritone, women's chorus, string quartet and piano ], from 28 Orpheus-Madrigale in vier Teilen, no. 4, Willy-Kehrer-Archiv Schmölln [sung text not yet checked]
- by Peter Lieberson (1946 - 2011), "Stiller Freund" [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Five Rilke Songs, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Robert Manno (b. 1944), "Stiller Freund der vielen Fernen" [ soprano, violin and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Andrea Lorenzo Scartazzini (b. 1971), "Siegel", 2007, copyright © 2007 [ soprano and orchestra ], Kassel : Bärenreiter-Verlag [sung text not yet checked]
- by Josef Tal (1910 - 2008), "Sonett an Orpheus", 2000 [ baritone ], Israel Music Institute [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Darrel Hale , copyright © 2018 ; composed by Jenni Brandon.
- Also set in English, a translation by Stephen Mitchell (b. 1943) , copyright © ; composed by Richard Danielpour, Eric Moe.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anita Barrows , "Let This Darkness Be a Bell Tower", copyright © and by Joanna Macy , "Let This Darkness Be a Bell Tower", copyright © ; composed by Gemma Peacocke.
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Greinem Izrailevich Ratgauz (1934 - 2011) , no title, copyright © ; composed by Vladislav Mikhailovich Lebedev.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , no title, copyright © 2014, (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: 86