Al fanciullo Elis | Elis, se il merlo dal nero bosco chiama

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by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914)

Translation © by Ferdinando Albeggiani

An den Knaben Elis

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE ITA

Elis, wenn die Amsel im schwarzen Wald ruft,
Dieses ist dein Untergang.
Deine Lippen trinken die Kühle des blauen Felsenquells.
 
Laß, wenn deine Stirne leise blutet
Uralte Legenden
Und dunkle Deutung des Vogelflugs.
 
Du aber gehst mit weichen Schritten in die Nacht,
Die voll purpurner Trauben hängt,
Und du regst die Arme schöner im Blau.
 
Ein Dornenbusch tönt,
Wo deine mondenen Augen sind.
O, wie lange bist, Elis, du verstorben.
 
Dein Leib ist eine Hyazinthe,
In die ein Mönch die wächsernen Finger taucht.
Eine schwarze Höhle ist unser Schweigen,
 
Daraus bisweilen ein sanftes Tier tritt
Und langsam die schweren Lider senkt.
Auf deine Schläfen tropft schwarzer Tau,

Das letzte Gold verfallener Sterne.

Text Authorship:

by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), "An den Knaben Elis", appears in Sebastian im Traum, in Sebastian im Traum [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 Jacques G. Goosen (b. 1952), "An den Knaben Elis", 1976, from Georg-Trakl-Lieder, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
by León Schidlowsky (b. 1931), "An den Knaben Elis", 1992 [ mixed chorus and percussion ] [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , "To the boy Elis ", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "À l'enfant Elis", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Al fanciullo Elis", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2008-08-15
Line count: 19
Word count: 112

Al fanciullo Elis

Language: Italian (Italiano) after the German (Deutsch)

Elis, se il merlo dal nero bosco chiama,
è questa la tua fine.
Bevono le tue labbra la frescura della sorgente azzurra.
 
Dimentica, se la tua fronte inizia a sanguinare lieve,
le antiche leggende
e il senso oscuro del volo degli uccelli.
 
Entra, invece, con passi leggeri, nella notte,
che incombe ricolma di grappoli purpurei,
e, più bello, muovi le braccia nell'azzurro.
 
Risuona il rovo
Là dove stanno i tuoi occhi lunari.
Oh, da quanto tempo, Elis, sei morto!
 
Il tuo corpo è un giacinto
In cui un monaco affonda le sue ceree dita.
Il nostro silenzio è una caverna nera,
 
da cui esce talvolta una mite bestiola
che lentamente abbassa le palpebre pesanti.
Dalle tue tempie cola una nera rugiada,
 
l'estremo oro di cadute stelle.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2008 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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 Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), "An den Knaben Elis", appears in Sebastian im Traum, in Sebastian im Traum
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2008-08-15
Line count: 19
Word count: 126