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Du kommst und gehst. Die Türen fallen Viel sanfter zu, fast ohne Wehn. Du bist der Leiseste von allen, die durch die leisen Häuser gehen. Man kann sich so an dich gewöhnen, dass man nicht aus dem [Buche]1 schaut, wenn seine Bilder sich verschönen, von deinem Schatten überblaut; [weil dich die Dinge immer tönen, nur einmal leis und einmal laut.]2 Oft wenn ich dich in Sinnen sehe, verteilt sich deine Allgestalt: du gehst wie lauter lichte Rehe. und ich bin dunkel und bin Wald. Du bist ein Rad, an dem ich stehe: von deinen vielen dunklen Achsen wird immer wieder eine schwer und dreht sich näher zu mir her, und meine willigen Werke wachsen von Wiederkehr zu Wiederkehr.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Große-Schware: "Fenster"
2 omitted by Große-Schware
Authorship
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Du kommst und gehst", written 1899, appears in Das Stundenbuch, in Das Buch vom mönchischen Leben , no. 45, first published 1905 [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 Hermann Große-Schware (b. 1931), "Herr, du kommst und gehst", 2005. [mixed chorus] [ sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Linda Godry) , "You come and go", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Tu vas et viens", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Linda Godry
This text was added to the website: 2007-06-25
Line count: 20
Word count: 118
You come and go, the doors close more softly, almost without a breath. You are the most silent of all, Who pass through the silent houses. One could get used to you, So that one doesn't even look out of the windows, while your pictures beome more and more beautiful, tinted in blue by your shadows. Often, when you are on my mind Your multifariousness is everywhere: You glide like many a translucent doe And I am dark and I am forest. You are the wheel standing before me; Of your many dark axles One or the other becomes loaded down And turns closer to me, And my gladly-brought deeds Keep growing again and again.
Authorship
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2007 by Linda Godry, (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.
Contact:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Du kommst und gehst", written 1899, appears in Das Stundenbuch, in Das Buch vom mönchischen Leben , no. 45, first published 1905
This text was added to the website: 2007-06-25
Line count: 18
Word count: 115