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by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)

Seltsam verlächelnd schob der Laborant
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Seltsam verlächelnd schob der Laborant
den Kolben fort, der halbberuhigt rauchte.
Er wusste jetzt, was er noch brauchte,
damit der sehr erlauchte Gegenstand

da drin entstände. Zeiten brauchte er,
Jahrtausende für sich und diese Birne
in der es brodelte; im Hirn Gestirne
und im Bewusstsein mindestens das Meer.

Das Ungeheuere, das er gewollt,
er ließ es los in dieser Nacht. Es kehrte
zurück zu Gott und in sein altes Maß;

er aber, lallend wie ein Trunkenbold,
lag über dem Geheimfach und begehrte
den Brocken Gold, den er besaß.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Rainer Maria Rilke, Der neuen Gedichte anderer Teil, Leipzig : Insel-Verlag, 1918, p.29


Text Authorship:

  • by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Der Alchimist", written 1907, appears in Der neuen Gedichte anderer Teil [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 Philip Herschkowitz (1906 - 1989), "Alchimist", 1983 [ mezzo-soprano, 3 clarinets, 2 violas, 2 cellos, piano ], from Madrigaliï, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by John Rodby (b. 1944), "Der Alchimist" [ voice and orchestra ], from Rilkegesangen, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2023-08-29
Line count: 14
Word count: 88

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