by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896)
Translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
Agnus Dei
Language: French (Français)
L'agneau cherche l'amère bruyère, C'est le sel et non le sucre qu'il préfère, Son pas fait le bruit d'une averse sur la poussière. Quand il veut un but, rien ne l'arrête, Brusque, il fonce avec de grands coups de sa tête, Puis il bêle vers sa mère accourue inquiète... Agneau de Dieu, qui sauves les hommes, Agneau de Dieu, qui nous comptes et nous nommes, Agneau de Dieu, vois, prends pitié de ce que nous sommes. Donne-nous la paix et non la guerre, Ô l'agneau terrible en ta juste colère. Ô toi, seul Agneau, Dieu le seul fils de Dieu le Père.
Authorship:
- by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), "Agnus Dei", appears in Liturgies intimes, no. 16, first published 1892 [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 Renée Philippart-Gonzalez (1905 - 1993), "Agnus Dei", published 1928 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Sénart [sung text not yet checked]
- by Denise Isabelle Roger (b. 1924), "Agnus Dei", c1980 [ bass, flute, viola, and violoncello ], from Liturgies intimes, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henri Tomasi (1901 - 1971), "Agnus Dei", 1943 [ chorus and orchestra ], from Messe en ré d'après Liturgies intimes pour chœurs et orchestre symphonique, no. 7 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926) ; composed by Wolfgang Fortner, Arthur Grüber, Karlheinz Stockhausen.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-10-24
Line count: 12
Word count: 102
Agnus Dei
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the French (Français)
Es sucht das Lamm die Bitterkeit der Heide, Zieht Salz dem Zucker vor auf seiner Weide. Sein Schritt wird laut im Staub, Daß ich ihn nicht vom Regen unterscheide. Will es sein Ziel, so ist nichts anzufangen. Kopfstoßend starr stemmt es sein Verlangen, Dann blökt es seiner Mutter zu, der bangen. Lamm Gottes, das der Menschen Heil beginnt, Lamm Gottes, das uns zählt und kennt und findt, Lamm Gottes, sieh, erbarm dich dessen, was wir sind. Gib uns den Frieden, nicht den Krieg bescher. Lamm, schrecklich in des rechten Zornes Wehr, O du einz'ges Lamm, Gott und Gottvaters Einziger.
Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), "Agnus Dei", appears in Liturgies intimes, no. 16, first published 1892
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Wolfgang Fortner (1907 - 1987), "Agnus Dei", copyright © 1932 [ mixed chorus ], from Drei geistliche Chöre, no. 2, Mainz : B. Schott's Söhne [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur Grüber (1910 - 1990), "Agnus Dei", 1930-1990 [ baritone and strings ], from Sechs Lieder, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928 - 2007), "Agnus Dei", 1950, published 1971, from Chöre für Doris, no. 3, Vienna, Universal Edition [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-05
Line count: 13
Word count: 99