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Der sonnige Duft, Septemberluft, sie wehten ein Mücklein mir aufs Buch, das suchte sich die Ruhegruft und fern vom Wald sein Leichentuch. Vier Flügelein von Seiden fein trug's auf dem Rücken zart, drin man im Regenbogenschein spielendes Licht gewahrt! Hellgrün das schlanke Leibchen war, hellgrün der Füßchen dreifach Paar, und auf dem Köpfchen wundersam saß ein Federbüschchen stramm; die Äuglein wie ein goldnes Erz glänzten mir in das tiefste Herz. Dies zierliche und manierliche Wesen hatt' sich zu Gruft und Leichentuch dies glänzende Papier erlesen, darin ich las, ein dichterliches Buch; so ließ den Band ich aufgeschlagen und sah erstaunt dem Sterben zu, wie langsam, langsam ohne Klagen das Tierlein kam zu seiner Ruh. Drei Tage ging es müd und matt umher auf dem Papiere; die Flügelein von Seide fein, sie glänzten alle viere. Am vierten Tage stand es still gerade auf dem Wörtlein "will." Gar tapfer stand's auf selbem Raum, hob je ein Füßchen wie im Traum; Am fünften Tage legt' es sich, doch noch am sechsten regt' es sich; am siebten endlich siegt' der Tod, da war zu Ende seine Not. Nun ruht im Buch sein leicht Gebein, mög uns sein Frieden eigen sein!
Authorship:
- by Gottfried Keller (1819 - 1890) [author's text not yet checked 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 Reutter (1900 - 1985), "Die kleine Passion", op. 59 (Neun Lieder und Gesänge nach Gedichten von Gottfried Keller) no. 3 (1944) [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (John Glenn Paton) , "The Little Passion Story", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: John Glenn Paton [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2007-11-23
Line count: 36
Word count: 196
The sunny fragrance, September breeze, they blew a little gnat onto my book, that sought a resting place and a shroud far from the forest. Four little wings of fine silk it wore on its tender back, and in them one could see rainbow-colored light! Bright green was the slender body, bright green the three pairs of little feet, and on the little head, strangely, sat a smart little plume; the little eyes, like golden metal, shone into my deepest heart. This delicate and mannerly being had chosen for its burial place and shroud this bright paper from which I was reading, a poetical book; so I left the volume lying open and watched the dying in amazement, how slowly, slowly, without complaining, the tiny animal came to its rest. Three days it walked, tired and dull, around on the paper; the little wings of fine silk, they all four shone. On the fourth day it stood still, exactly on the word "will!" Quite bravely it stood on that space, lifted each little foot as if in a dream. On the fifth day it lay down, but on the sixth it still moved; on the seventh, Death finally won, then was its trouble at an end. Now its light limbs rest in the book; may we also have such peace!
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2007 by John Glenn Paton, (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:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Gottfried Keller (1819 - 1890)
This text was added to the website: 2007-11-23
Line count: 36
Word count: 220