by Friedrich Hölderlin (1770 - 1843)
Translation Singable translation by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov (1948 - 2020)
Mit gelben Birnen hänget
Language: German (Deutsch)
Mit gelben Birnen hänget Und voll mit wilden Rosen Das Land in den See, Ihr holden Schwäne, Und trunken von Küssen [Tunkt]1 [ihr das Haupt Ins heilignüchterne Wasser.]2 Weh mir, wo nehm' ich, wenn Es Winter ist, die Blumen, und wo Den Sonnenschein, Und Schatten der Erde? Die Mauern [stehn]3 Sprachlos und kalt, im Winde Klirren die Fahnen.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Müller: "Taucht"; omitted by Ligeti
2 omitted by Ligeti
3 Cerha: "stehen"
Text Authorship:
- by Friedrich Hölderlin (1770 - 1843), "Hälfte des Lebens", appears in Gedichte 1800-1804, in Nachtgesänge [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 Hauke Jasper Berheide , "Hälfte des Lebens", 2020 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder nach Hölderlin, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 61 no. 5, published 1963, from Sechs Hölderlin-Fragmente, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Fritz Büchtger (1903 - 1978), "Hälfte des Lebens", 1975-1976 [ voice and piano ], from Vor der Tür (Als Requiem für Elisabeth Büchtger), no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Friedrich Cerha (b. 1926), no title, 1995, from Acht Sätze nach Hölderlin-Fragmenten, no. 7 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Harald Genzmer (1909 - 2007), "Hälfte des Lebens", 1940-90? [sung text not yet checked]
- by Olivier Greif (1950 - 2000), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 270 no. 8 (1991) [ voice and piano ], from Wie Vögel…, no. 8 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Josef Matthias Hauer (1883 - 1959), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 21 no. 2, copyright © 1924 [ voice and piano ], from Hölderlin Lieder, no. 2, Berlin, Schlesinger [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paavo Heininen (b. 1938), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 30 no. 3 (1973), first performed 1975 [ mezzo-soprano and piano or strings ], from Schatten der Erde, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Philippe Hersant (b. 1948), "Hälfte des Lebens", 1992 [ soprano and instrumental ensemble (9 instruments) ], from Lebenslauf, 6 mélodies pour soprano solo et ensemble instrumental, no. 3, Paris, Durand [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Karl Horwitz, né Curt Horwitz (1884 - 1925), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 4 (Sechs Gedichte) no. 3, published 1919 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gordon Kerry (b. 1961), "Hälfte des Lebens" [ soprano and piano ], from Drei Jahreszeitenslieder, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Gideon Klein (1919 - 1945), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 1 no. 2 (1940) [ high voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder = Tři písně, no. 2, also set in Czech (Čeština) [sung text not yet checked]
- by René Leibowitz (1913 - 1972), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 38 no. 3 [ baritone and instrumental ensemble (8 instruments) ], from Serenade for baritone and 8 instruments, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ernst Ludwig Leitner (b. 1943), "Hälfte des Lebens", published 1995, first performed 1995 [ soprano, oboe, and harp ], from Elegien nach Texten von Friedrich Hölderlin, Georg Trakl und Ludwig Christoph Heinrich Hölty für Sopran, Oboe und Harfe, no. 3, Vienna, Doblinger [sung text not yet checked]
- by György Ligeti (1923 - 2006), "Hälfte des Lebens" [ choral, a cappella ], from Drei Phantasien nach Friedrich Hölderlin, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Daan Manneke (b. 1939), "Hälfte des Lebens", 2009, copyright © 2009 [ chorus ], from Liturgien, no. 3, Amsterdam : Muziek Centrum Nederland [sung text not yet checked]
- by Josef Ivar Müller (1892 - 1969), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 40 no. 1, published [1935] [ women's chorus and violoncello or horn ], from Drei Chöre, no. 1, Zürich and Leipzig : Hug [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Wolfgang Nening (b. 1966), "Hälfte des Lebens", 1987 [ mixed chorus, cello, organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilhelm Petersen (1890 - 1957), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 45 (Sechs Gesänge) no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hermann Reutter (1900 - 1985), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 56 (Drei Gesänge nach Texten von Friedrich Hölderlin) no. 2, published 1944 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wolfgang Michael Rihm (1952 - 2024), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 1 no. 3 (1969) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wolfgang Michael Rihm (1952 - 2024), "Hälfte des Lebens", 2004 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Hölderlin-Gedichte, no. 2, confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Denise Isabelle Roger (1924 - 2005), "Hälfte des Lebens", 1962, copyright © 1979, first performed 1979 [ medium voice and piano ], from Deux poèmes de Friedrich Hölderlin, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hans Heinz Scholtys (1900 - 1945), "Hälfte des Lebens" [ voice and piano ], from 94 Lieder, no. 54 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hans Heinz Scholtys (1900 - 1945), "Hälfte des Lebens" [ voice and piano ], from 94 Lieder, no. 55 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov (1948 - 2020), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 31 no. 1, published 1980, first performed 1981 [ voice and organ ], from Schicksalslieder (Pesny sud'by), no. 1, also set in Russian (Русский) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Walter Steffens (b. 1934), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 95 no. 5 (2008) [ voice and piano ], from Fünf Gesänge auf Hölderlin für mittlere Gesangsstimme und Klavier, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hans Uwe Strübing (b. 1956), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 39 no. 2 (1999), first performed 2001 [ high voice and piano ], from Triptychon II. 3 Lieder zum Lebenslauf, für hohe Stimme und Klavier, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Stefan Wolpe (1902 - 1972), "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 1 (Fünf Lieder nach Friedrich Hölderlin) no. 1 (1924) [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Czech (Čeština), a translation by Erich Adolf Saudek (1904 - 1963) , "Polivina života", copyright © ; composed by Gideon Klein.
- Also set in English, a translation by David Emery Gascoyne (1916 - 2001) , "The half of life", appears in Hölderlin's Madness, first published 1938, copyright © [an adaptation] ; composed by Eric Hudes.
- Also set in English, a translation by Manfred Fischbeck , "Half of life", copyright © ; composed by Andrea Clearfield.
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov (1948 - 2020) ; composed by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "La meitat de la vida", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The middle of life", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le milieu de la vie", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , "Mi-temps de la vie", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- IRI Irish (Gaelic) [singable] (Gabriel Rosenstock) , "Leath an tSaoil", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 58
Seredina zhizni
Language: Russian (Русский) after the German (Deutsch)
Zhjolteja grushej speloj, Krasneja rozoj dikoj, Kraj svetlykh ozjor, Kak lebed' milyj, Ustav ot lobzanij, Sheju sklonjajet V svjashchenno-trezvye vody. No kak smogu ja Otyskat' cvety zimoju, Najdu li solnca svet I teni zemnye? Otveta net Ot mjortvykh sten. Pod vetrom fljuger skrezheshchet.
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Note on TransliterationsShow untransliterated (original) text
Text Authorship:
- Singable translation by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov (1948 - 2020) [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Hölderlin (1770 - 1843), "Hälfte des Lebens", appears in Gedichte 1800-1804, in Nachtgesänge
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov (1948 - 2020), "Середина жизни", op. 31 no. 1, published 1980, first performed 1981 [ voice and organ ], from Schicksalslieder (Pesny sud'by), no. 1, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Dmitri Smirnov
This text was added to the website: 2008-03-17
Line count: 14
Word count: 43