[Im Vorsaal über einem Sessel hängt der Waffenrock, 
das Bandelier und der Mantel von dem von Langenau. 
Seine Handschuhe liegen auf dem Fußboden. 
Seine]1 Fahne steht steil, [gelehnt an das Fensterkreuz. 
Sie ist]2 schwarz und schlank. 
Draußen jagt ein Sturm über den Himmel hin 
[und macht Stücke aus der Nacht, weiße und schwarze. ]2
Der Mondschein geht wie ein langer Blitz vorbei, 
und die reglose Fahne hat unruhige Schatten. 
Sie träumt.

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Rainer Maria Rilke, Werke. Kommentiere Ausgabe in vier Bänden, herausgegeben von Manfred Engel, Ulrich Fülleborn, Horst Nalewski, August Stahl, Band I Gedichte 1895 bis 1910, herausgegeben von Manfred Engel und Ulrich Fülleborn, Frankfurt am Main: Insel Verlag, 1996, page 150.

¹ Reutter: "Die"
² omitted by Reutter

Text Authorship:

• by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, written 1899, appears in Die Weise von Liebe und Tod des Cornets Christoph Rilke, no. 21, first published 1906 [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 Paul von Klenau (1883 - 1946), "Im Vorsaal über einem Sessel", 1918/1919, from Die Weise von Liebe und Tod des Kornetts Christoph Rilke, no. 21 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Frank Martin (1890 - 1974), "Im Vorsaal", 1942 [ alto and chamber orchestra ], from Die Weise von Liebe und Tod des Cornets Christoph Rilke, no. 17 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Casimir von Pászthory (1886 - 1966), "Im Vorsaal über einem Sessel hängt der Waffenrock", published 1912 [ reciter and piano ], from Die Weise von Liebe und Tod des Cornets Christoph Rilke, no. 22, Leipzig: Fr. Kistner & C.F.W. Siegel, 1919 [sung text checked 1 time]

The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:

• by Hermann Reutter (1900 - 1985), "Die Turmstube ist dunkel", op. 31 no. 4, published 1947 [ medium voice and piano ], from Die Weise von Liebe und Tod des Cornets Christoph Rilke, no. 4, Mainz: B. Schott’s Söhne, London: Schott & Co. Ltd.
  • View the full text. [sung text checked 1 time]
    

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

• Also set in Italian (Italiano), a translation by Marco Zapparoli (b. 1960) , appears in L’Alfieri, copyright © ; composed by Hans Ludwig Hirsch.
  • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
    

Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

• ENG English (Knut W. Barde) , "In the anteroom", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Dans l'antichambre, sur un fauteuil, sont posés la tunique", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: John Versmoren , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 10
Word count: 74

In the anteroom his military coat is draped across an armchair, 
as well as his sash and the long coat of him who is von Langenau. 
His gloves lie on the floor. 
His flag is erect, leaning against the cross beams of the window.  
It is black and slender. 
Outside a storm chases across the sky 
and shreds the night into pieces, white and black ones. 
The light of the moon passes like a lasting bolt of lighting, 
and the immobile flag casts nervous shadows.  
It is dreaming.