Wir gehen um mit Blume, Weinblatt, Frucht. Sie sprechen nicht die Sprache nur des Jahres. Aus Dunkel steigt ein buntes Offenbares und hat vielleicht den Glanz der Eifersucht der Toten an sich, die die Erde stärken. Was wissen wir von ihrem Teil an dem? Es ist seit langem ihre Art, den Lehm mit ihrem freien Marke zu durchmärken. Nun fragt sich nur: tun sie es gern? ... Drängt diese Frucht, ein Werk von schweren Sklaven, geballt zu uns empor, zu ihren Herrn? Sind sie die Herrn, die bei den Wurzeln schlafen, und gönnen uns aus ihren Überflüssen dies Zwischending aus stummer Kraft und Küssen?
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Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Die Sonette an Orpheus 1, no. 14 [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 Robert Edler (1912 - 1986), "Sonett 14 (Chor)", op. 16836 no. 7 (1970) [ tenor, speaker, chorus and orchestra ], from Sonette an Orpheus, no. 7 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by James Blair Leishman (1902 - 1963) , no title ; composed by Colin Matthews.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2023-08-02
Line count: 14
Word count: 103
Our life-long neighbours, flower, vine-leaf, fruit, they do not merely speak the season’s speech. These things so brightly manifest, that reach from darkness, gleam, it may be, with the mute envy of those through whom the earth grows strong. What do we know about the part they play? To mix their unused marrow \vith the clay has been their second-nature for so long. But do they do it of their own accords? Is it by sullen slaves that these clenched fruits are laboured and thrust forth to us, their lords? Are they the lords, who sleep beside the roots, and grant us, what their plenty never misses, this middle-thing, made of dumb strength and kisses?
About the headline (FAQ)
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
Confirmed with Rainer Maria Rilke, Sonnets to Orpheus, London : The Hoghard Press, 1949, p.60
Text Authorship:
- by James Blair Leishman (1902 - 1963), no title [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Die Sonette an Orpheus 1, no. 14
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Colin Matthews (b. 1946), "Our life-long neighbours, flower, vine-leaf, fruit", 1975-76 [ voice and piano ], from Five Sonnets: To Orpheus, no. 4, Faber music [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2023-08-30
Line count: 14
Word count: 115