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by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)
Translation © by Salvador Pila

Oft ist das Leben lauter Licht
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG
Oft ist das Leben lauter Licht
Und funkelt freudefarben
Und lacht und fragt nach denen nicht,
Die litten, die verdarben.

Doch immer ist mein Herz bei denen,
Die Leid verhehlen
Und sich am Abend voller Sehnen
Zu weinen in die Kammer stehlen.

So viele Menschen weiß ich,
Die irren leidbeklommen,
All ihre Seelen heiß ich
Mir Brüder und willkommen.

Gebückt auf nasse Hände
Weiß ich sie abends weinen,
Sie sehen dunkle Wände
Und keine Lichter scheinen.

Doch tragen sie verborgen,
Verirrt, und wissen's nicht,
Durch Finsternis und Sorgen
Der Liebe süßes Licht.

About the headline (FAQ)

Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.

Confirmed with Hermann Hesse, Sämtliche Werke, herausgegeben von Volker Michels, Band 10 Die Gedichte, bearbeitet von Peter Huber, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2002, pages 251-252.


Text Authorship:

  • by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Oft ist das Leben", written 1918 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Grabner (1886 - 1969), "Oft ist das Leben lauter Licht", 1950/1 [ voice and piano ], from Acht Hermann Hesse-Lieder, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Hugo Rolle , "Oft ist das Leben lauter Licht", op. 11 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2009-05-06
Line count: 20
Word count: 92

Sovint la vida és pura llum
Language: Catalan (Català)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Sovint la vida és pura llum
i centelleja amical i acolorida
i somriu i no pregunta per els qui
sofriren, els qui es perderen.

Però el meu cor és sempre al costat
dels qui oculten llur sofriment
i que, al vespre, plens de deler
es retiren a la cambra per plorar.

Conec molta que erren
oprimits pel sofriment;
jo anomeno llurs ànimes, totes,
germanes i benvingudes.

Acotats damunt mans molles
jo sé que ploren al vespre,
veuen parets obscures
i cap llum resplendir.

Però a través de la fosca i l’aflicció,
perduts, porten oculta
i no ho saben,
la dolça llum de l’amor.

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of titles:
"Oft ist das Leben" = "Sovint la vida"
"Oft ist das Leben lauter Licht" = "Sovint la vida és pura llum"


Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2025 by Salvador Pila, (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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Oft ist das Leben", written 1918
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2025-10-21
Line count: 20
Word count: 103

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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