Overhead the tree-tops meet, Flowers and grass spring 'neath one's feet; There was nought above me, and nought below, My childhood had not learned to know: For what are the voices of birds -Ay, and of beasts,-but words-our words, Only so much more sweet? The knowledge of that with my life begun! But I had so near made out the sun, And counted your stars, the Seven and One, Like the fingers of my hand: Nay, I could all but understand Wherefore through heaven the white moon ranges, And just when out of her soft fifty changes No unfamiliar face might overlook me- Suddenly God took me!
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Browning (1812 - 1889), appears in Pippa Passes [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 Clara Kathleen Rogers (1844 - 1931), "Overhead the treetops meet (from "Pippa Passes")", op. 36 (1902), published 1903 [ voice and piano ], Boston : Arthur P. Schmidt and Co. [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Richard Flatter) , "Lied der Pippa", appears in Die Fähre, Englische Lyrik aus fünf Jahrhunderten, first published 1936
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2011-07-14
Line count: 16
Word count: 107
Droben die Wipfel winken und grüßen – Gras und Blumen unter den Füßen – Die Ferne, die Nähe ist einerlei Traum. Als ich ein Kind war, da wußte ich kaum, Daß die Tiere im Busch, im Wald, wo sie wohnen, Die Vöglein im Laub, in den Zweigen und Kronen, Sie reden, sie rufen, von dort, von hier – Nur süßer als wir. Doch als ich zu leben und schauen begann, Da lief ich ganz nah an die Sonne heran, Da zählt ich die Sterne, vier, sechs, drei, sieben, So viel als mir Finger zum Zählen blieben – Ja, und ich konnt auch beinahe verstehn, Warum der Mond mit dem weißen Gesicht Im silbernen Licht Den Himmel durchwandern muß, immerfort gehn, Sich fünfzigmal drehn – – Und wie er so freundlich vorüberschlich, Nahm Gott mich zu sich.
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Confirmed with Die Fähre, Englische Lyrik aus fünf Jahrhunderten Übersetzt von Richard Flatter, Walter Krieg Verlag, Wien-Bad Bocklet-Zürich, 1954, 2nd edition (1st edition 1936), page 174
Text Authorship:
- by Richard Flatter (1891 - 1960), "Lied der Pippa", appears in Die Fähre, Englische Lyrik aus fünf Jahrhunderten, first published 1936 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Robert Browning (1812 - 1889), appears in Pippa Passes
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this page: Volkmar Henschel
This text was added to the website: 2021-02-25
Line count: 19
Word count: 136