Wie das so seltsam traurig macht: Ein Gang durch eine fremde Stadt, Die liegt und schläft in stiller Nacht Und mondbeglänzte Dächer hat. Und über Turm und Giebel reist Der Wolken wunderliche Flucht Still und gewaltig wie ein Geist, Der heimatlos nach Heimat sucht. Du aber, plötzlich übermannt, Ergibst dem wehen Zauber dich Und legst dein Bündel aus der Hand Und weinest lang und bitterlich.
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Confirmed with Hermann Hesse, Sämtliche Werke, herausgegeben von Volker Michels, Band 10 Die Gedichte, bearbeitet von Peter Huber, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2002, page 97.
Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Fremde Stadt", written 1901, appears in Neue deutsche Lyriker III , in Von Wanderungen, first published 1919 [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 Heinrich Döhler , "Fremde Stadt" [ alto and piano ], from Fünf Lieder für Alt nach Gedichten von Hermann Hesse, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Géza Frid (1904 - 1989), "Fremde Stadt", op. 60 no. 1, published 1960 [ voice and piano ], from Auf Reise, liederencyclus in de modus lascivus, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hans Kracke (1910 - 1989), "Fremde Stadt", published 1955 [ four-part men's chorus a cappella ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Robert Owens (1925 - 2017), "Fremde Stadt", op. 20 (3 Lieder) no. 1 [ baritone and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Heinrich Pestalozzi (1878 - 1940), "Fremde Stadt ", op. 45 no. 2, published 1926 [ four-part mixed chorus a cappella ], from Fünf gemischte Chöre, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Martin Rössler (b. 1934), "Fremde Stadt ", 1958 [ soprano and piano ], from Unterwegs - Liederzyklus für Sopran und Klavier nach Texten von Hermann Hesse, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Christian Immo Schneider (b. 1935), "Fremde Stadt ", op. 12 no. 6 [ medium voice and piano ], from Zwölf volkstümliche Gesänge für mittlere Stimme nach Gedichten von Hermann Hesse, no. 6 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Peter Suitner (b. 1928), "Fremde Stadt ", op. 115b [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Unfamiliar city", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-05-04
Line count: 12
Word count: 65