Heiß glüht der Pfad; am frühen Tag
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): ENG
Heiß glüht der Pfad; am frühen Tag
War Melek schon zum Wege wach;
Nun zieht er lechzend im Mittagsbrand
Von Durst verfolgt durch den sengenden Sand.
Es heult die Hyäne, der Pardel brüllt,
Des Glutsands Strudel den Blick verhüllt: --
"Und trüg' ich's selbst auch länger noch,
Du treues Roß erlägst mir doch!"
Und höher der Wirbel [den Sand]1 aufwühlt,
Kein Labetrunk, kein Schatten kühlt;
Da blickt er zum Himmel, sein Auge fleht,
Die lechzende Lippe wird [Gebet]2 : --
"Der du die Gräser
Tränkest mit Tau,
Der du in's Glutmeer starrenden Sandes
Hast die Oase [gegossen]3,
Schenke Erquickung mir;
Wecker des Tags und der Nächte Hüter,
Nicht in dem Glutsand hier
Laß mich verschmachten, des Lebens Gebieter!
"Horch! erfüllt nicht die Luft
Wandernder Kata's Schaar? --
Ist er noch fern der Quell,
Dem dürstend ihr entgegen zieht? --
"Auf, mit der Vögel Schwarm
Fliege, mein Roß! dort letzt
Mit erquickender Kühlung
Uns der sprudelnde Labequell."
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)
1 Loewe: "den Staub"
2 Loewe: "zum Gebet"
3 Loewe: "hingegossen"
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (John H. Campbell) (W. Kommer) , "Melek in the desert", copyright ©, (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: 152
Melek in the desert
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
The path glows fiery-hot; in the early hours of day
Melek was already awake for his journey;
Now in midday's heat, pursued by his thirst,
he walks on through the hot sand.
The hyena howls, the leopard roars,
The scorching sand swirls and occludes all sight:
"And even if I could stand it longer,
You faithful horse will not bear much more!"
And higher the whirlwind churns up the dust,
No refreshing drink, no cool shadow.
He looks up to the sky, his eyes imploring,
The dry lips form a prayer:
"You, who fill
the grass with dew,
who you have put the oasis here
in the scorching sea of glaring sand,
Give me refreshment!
Waker of the day and keeper of the nights,
Do not let me die here
in the scorching sand, o master of life!
"Listen! Does the air not fill
wandering Kata's band?
Is the spring still far,
that thirsting he contrarily pulls to?
"Come on! with the birds swarm,
fly, my steed! There
the bubbling spring
will refresh us!"
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by John H. Campbell and W. Kommer, (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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 174