by
Gottfried Benn (1886 - 1956)
Worte
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): ENG
Allein:
du mit den Worten,
und das ist wirklich allein,
Clairons und Ehrenpforten
sind nicht in diesem Sein.
Du siehst
ihnen in die Seele
nach Vor- und Urgesicht,
Jahre um Jahre quäle dich ab,
du findest nicht.
Und drüben
brennen die Leuchten
in sanftem Menschenhort,
von Lippen, rosigen, feuchten
perlt unbedenklich das Wort.
Nur deine Jahre vergilben
in einem anderen Sinn,
bis in die Träume:
Silben --
doch schweigen gehest du hin.
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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) , "Words", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: John H. Campbell
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 71
Words
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
Alone:
you with the words,
and that is true solitude,
Clarions and triumphal-arch
will not in this life be.
You see
into the soul
from before - and in the beginning,
Year after year you struggle on,
finding nothing.
And over there
in the warm light
of gentle human-comfort,
from moist, rosy, lips,
words uttered lovingly.
But your years turn yellow
in another manner,
until into dreams:
your words --
finally become silence.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by John H. Campbell, (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.
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Based on:
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 72