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by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
Die Blätter fallen, fallen wie von weit
Language: German (Deutsch)
Die Blätter fallen, fallen wie von weit, als welkten in den Himmeln ferne Gärten; sie fallen mit verneinender Gebärde. Und in den Nächten fällt die schwere Erde aus allen Sternen in die Einsamkeit. Wir alle fallen. Diese Hand da fällt. Und sieh die andre an: es ist in allen. Und doch ist einer, welcher dieses Fallen unendlich sanft in seinen Händen hält.
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Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Herbst", appears in Das Buch der Bilder, first published 1920 [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 Hans Abrahamsen (b. 1952), "Herbstlied", 1992/2009 [ soprano, clarinet or English horn, piano or harpsichord, violin, cello ], Wilhelm Hansen [sung text not yet checked]
- by Elizabeth R. Austin (b. 1938), "Herbst" [ medium voice and piano ], from Drei Rilke-Lieder, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Herbst", 2008 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Zwei Rilke-lieder, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Henk Badings (1907 - 1987), "Herbst", from Fünf Rilke-Lieder, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Conrad Beck (1901 - 1989), "Herbst" [ voice and piano or organ ], from Drei Herbstgesänge, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Thomas Taxus Beck (b. 1962), "Herbst", from Herbst-Nacht [sung text not yet checked]
- by Albert Ernst Anton Becker (1834 - 1899), "Im Herbst", op. 8 (Fünf Lieder) no. 4, published 1884 [ medium voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hans Georg Bertram (1936 - 2013), "Herbst", 1959 [ baritone and piano ], from Das Jahr der Rose. Fünf Lieder für Bariton und Klavier nach Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by David Biedenbender (b. 1984), "Herbst", 2012 [ chorus ], from Three Rilke songes, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Kurt Bikkembergs (b. 1963), "Herbst", published 2006 [ mixed chorus ], Heverlee : Euprint [sung text not yet checked]
- by Dirk Blockeel (b. 1955), "Herbst", 2003 [ chorus and piano ], from Rilkes dritte Jahreszeit, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alfonso Bögeholz Fuentes (b. 1933), "Herbst" [ alto and piano ], from Rilke-Lieder, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eduard Bornschein (1883 - 1945), "Herbst", 1934 [ voice and piano ], from 4 Lieder, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Axel Borup-Jørgensen (1924 - 2012), "Herbst", subtitle: "Kantate", op. 42 (1962-1963) [ alto, clarinet, viola, flute, violoncello, percussion and piano ], Manuskript [sung text not yet checked]
- by Fritz Büchtger (1903 - 1978), "Herbst", op. 67 no. 2, copyright © 1964 [ chorus ], from Rilke-Chöre, no. 2, Mainz : Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jean-Paul Byloo (b. 1949), "Herbst", 1995 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Rilke Lieder, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by André-Marie Cuvelier , "Herbst", 1942, published 1943 [ voice and piano ], from Die Vier Jahreszeiten, no. 3, Paris : en dépôt chez Jean Jobert [sung text not yet checked]
- by Willem Dragstra (b. 1956), "Herbst", 1983, copyright © 1987 [ voice and piano ], from Herbstlieder, no. 4, Maastricht : Sodenkamp [sung text not yet checked]
- by Matthias Drude (b. 1960), "Herbst", 1981/82 [ medium voice and piano ], from Rilke-Lieder, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul-Bernhard Eipper (b. 1963), "Herbst" [ mixed chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Will Eisenmann (1906 - 1992), "Herbst", op. 39 no. 1 (1945) [ voice and piano ], from Gesänge im Zwielicht, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Volkmar Ellmauthaler (b. 1957), "Herbst", op. 12 no. 4 (1987), copyright © 1993 [ soprano and organ ], from Vier Rilke-Lieder, no. 4, Wien : NÖ Musikedition : INÖK [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ferenc Farkas (1905 - 2000), "Herbst", 1984, copyright © 1987 [ four-part mixed chorus ], from Hommage à Rilke, no. 2, Editio Musica Budapest, Z. 13279 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Siegfried Fietz (b. 1946), "Herbst" [ voice and band ], Abakus Musik, Barbara Fietz [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wim Franken (b. 1922), "Herbst", 1959, from Zes Rilke-liederen, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Fürstenthal (1920 - 2016), "Herbst" [ voice and piano ], from 16 Lieder und Balladen vom Leben und Vergehen, no. 14, confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hans Gál (1890 - 1987), "Erhebung", op. 25 no. 5 (1912-25), published 1926, first performed 1927 [ SSAA chorus a cappella ], from Herbstlieder, no. 5, N. Simrock, Berlin [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Carsten Gerlitz (b. 1966), "Herbst", copyright © 2002 [ mixed chorus ], Helbling [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gisela Goebels (1903 - 1989), "Herbst" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Mihai Grigoriu , "Herbst" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Axel Groffmann , "Herbst" [ voice and piano ], from 7 Lieder nach Gedichten von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Max Haager (1905 - 1984), "Herbst" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Haas (1886 - 1960), "Herbst", c1919-c1944 [ voice and piano ], from 25 Lieder nach Gedichten von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 14 [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Rudolf) Walther Hirschberg (1889 - 1960), "Herbst", op. 43 no. 5 (1937) [ medium voice and piano ], from Buch der Bilder; Zwölf Lieder, no. 5, Berlin : Verlag der Signale für die musikalische Welt [sung text not yet checked]
- by Stephen Andrew Gill Hough, Sir (b. 1961), "Herbst", 2010 [ voice and piano ], from Herbstlieder, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Joseph Hudson , "Herbst", 2003 [ voice and piano ], from Rilke songs, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Anders Hultqvist (b. 1955), "Herbst", 2001 [ mixed chorus ], Svensk Musik [sung text not yet checked]
- by Loretta Jankowski (b. 1950), "Herbst", 1982 [ mezzo-soprano and organ ], from Die Sehnsuchten, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Dieter Kaufmann (b. 1941), "Herbstpathetique" [ speaker and electronics ], from Herbstpathetique, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Willy Kehrer (1902 - 1976), "Herbst", op. 28, Heft 2 (Buch der Bilder) no. 4 (1922), first performed 1938 [ soprano and mezzo-soprano (ad libitum) and piano ], from Eine Rainer-Maria-Rilke-Stunde, no. 13, Thüringen : Willy-Kehrer-Archiv Schmölln [sung text not yet checked]
- by Lothar Klein (b. 1932), 1957 [ soprano and piano or orchestra ], from Herbst Lieder, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Walther Klein (1882 - 1961), "Herbst" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Armin Knab (1881 - 1951), "Herbst", 1906 [ voice and piano ], from 3 Lieder vom frühen Tod, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Anselm König (b. 1957), "Herbst", 1990 [ voice, guitar and saxophone ], from Ausgewählte Liedlyrik, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Krause (b. 1889), "Herbst", op. 47 no. 5, published 1972?, from Sechs Gedichte von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Clemens Krauss (1893 - 1954), "Herbst, Die Blätter fallen" [ voice and piano ], from Acht Gesänge nach Gedichten von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 8 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alfred Kuppelmayer (1918 - 1978), "Die Blätter fallen", op. 10 no. 2, published 1952 [ chorus ], Augsburg : Böhm & Sohn [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ernst Ludwig Leitner (b. 1943), "Herbstgedicht", 2018 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Drei Lieder nach Texten von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ignace Lilien (1897 - 1964), "Herbst", 1923 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ignace Lilien (1897 - 1964), "Herbst ", 1922, copyright © 1960 [ low voice or medium voice and piano ], from Sechs Gedichte von R.M. Rilke, no. 1, Amsterdam : Donemus [sung text not yet checked]
- by Birgitta Lutz , "Herbst", published 2003 [ medium voice and piano ], from 10 Vertonungen nach Gedichten von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 2, Abschrift des Manuskripts von Walter Stüber. Mit Zeichnungen von Karl Unverzagt [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bruno Mantovani (b. 1974), "Herbst", 2006 [ 6 voices, clarinet, horn, percussion, piano, viola, and cello ], from cantata Cantates: Cantate No.1, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bruce Mather (b. 1939), "Herbst", 1960 [ tenor and guitar ], from Cycle Rilke, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Erwin Ernst Wilhelm Meier (b. 1937), "Herbst" [ baritone, speaker and piano ], from Musikalische Lesung, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Selga Mence (b. 1953), "Herbst", 2013, first performed 2013 [ mixed chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carlos Micháns (b. 1950), "Herbst", 1989, copyright © 1989 [ chorus ], from Herbstlieder, no. 3, Amsterdam: Donemus [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hans Friedrich Micheelsen (1902 - 1973), "Die Blätter fallen", published 1934 [ voice and organ ], from Gesänge von der Vergänglichkeit und von der Ewigkeit, no. 1, In: Lobeda – Orgel-Singbuch für Männerchor, Band II [sung text not yet checked]
- by Klaus Miehling (b. 1963), "Herbst", op. 364 (Drei Chorlieder nach Rainer Maria Rilke (SSATB)) no. 3 (2024) [ SSATB chorus ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Alfred Nieman (1914 - 1997), "Herbst" [ soprano, tenor, string quartet ], from Rilke song cycle, no. 1, manuscript [sung text not yet checked]
- by Erik Norby (1936 - 2007), "Herbst", 1989 [ voice and piano ], from 6 Herbstlieder, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Léon Orthel (1905 - 1985), "Herbst", op. 87 no. 3 (1980), from Herfst, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hans Ossing (1930 - 2014), "Der Herbst" [ chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Michael Ostrzyga (b. 1975), no title, 2017 [ mixed chorus ], from Drift, Chorus XXI : Perspektiven neuer Chormusik; Innsbruck : Esslingen : Bern-Belp : Helbling [sung text not yet checked]
- by Steen Pade (b. 1956), "Herbst", 1973-74/1994 [ baritone and piano ], from Jugend, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Casimir von Pászthory (1886 - 1966), "Die Blätter fallen", copyright © 1972 [ medium voice ], from Besinnliche Lieder, no. 6, from Sieben Lieder nach Gedichte von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 7, Salzburg [etc.] : Pászthory - Molineus [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jānis Petraškevičs (b. 1978), "Herbst", 2017/18 [ mezzo-soprano, clarinet and piano ], Edition Gravis Verlag [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jānis Petraškevičs (b. 1978), "Herbst", 2017-2018. [ mezzo-soprano, clarinet, piano ], from Herbst. Eingang, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Michael Porr (b. 1967), "Herbst" [ soprano, alto, chorus, harp and orchestra ], from oratorio Requiem, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Emma Possanner , "Herbst" [ voice and piano ], from 21 Lieder, no. 16 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hugo Rasch (1873 - 1947), "Herbst", op. 3 (2 Lieder) no. 2 (1907), published 1908 [ voice and piano ], Mainz: Schott [sung text not yet checked]
- by Albert Riester (1906 - 1975), "Herbst", 1948 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Dennis Riley (1943 - 1999), "Herbst" [ chorus ], from Elegy for September 15. 1945, Frankfurt am Main : C.F. Peters Musikverlag [sung text not yet checked]
- by Quirin Rische (1903 - 1989), "Herbst" [ men's chorus, wind quintet and organ ad libitum ], from cantata Ewiges Leben [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gabor Rivo (b. 1964), "Herbst", op. 15 (1988) [ 4 soli, mixed chorus, children's chorus, and orchestra ], from cantata Aber ein Heimweh meint das Haupt vom Baum ; Rilke-Kantate, Selbstverlag [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Xavier Rodríguez (b. 1946), "Herbst", 1971, published 1971 [ soprano and violoncello ], from Lyrics for Autumn, Hans Sikorski Musikverlag [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz-Georg Rössler (1949 - 2017), "Herbst" [ men's chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Rainer Maria Rückschloß , "Die Blätter fallen", 2001 [ voice, flute, organ ], from Rilke-Lieder, Carus Verlag GmbH [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Florus Sanders (1891 - 1986), "Herbst", 1918 [ voice, flute and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Fritz Franz Schieri (1922 - 2009), "Herbst" [ voice and piano ], from Rilke-Lieder, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Walter Schlageter (1907 - 1995), "Herbst" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Erich Schmid (1907 - 2000), "Herbst" [ mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra ], from Suite. Nach Gedichten von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Siegmund Schmidt (b. 1939), "Herbst", 2010 [ alto and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hermann Schröder (1904 - 1984), "Herbst", 1969, copyright © 1972 [ chorus ], from Rilke-Zyklus, no. 5, Heidelberg : Willy Müller / Süddeutscher Musikverlag [sung text not yet checked]
- by Cyrill Schürch (b. 1974), "Herbst", 1999 [ baritone and piano ], from Three Seasons, no. 1, Manuscript [sung text not yet checked]
- by Rolf Schweizer (1936 - 2016), "Die Blätter fallen" [ voice, flute or violin, organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Frank Schwemmer (b. 1961), "Herbst", 1999 [ men's chorus ], from Als welkten in den Himmeln ferne Gärten, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Andreas Seger (b. 1962), "Herbst" [ mixed chorus ], from Herbstgedanken, no. 1, Ferrimontana Edition, Verlag für Internationale Chormusik [sung text not yet checked]
- by Martin Seith-Böhm (b. 1958), "Herbst", 2007 [ mixed chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Adrian Self (b. 1952), "Herbst", copyright © 1986 [ voice and piano ], London : Barry Brunton [sung text not yet checked]
- by Vladislav Alekseyevich Shoot (1941 - 2022), "Herbst", 1993, copyright © 1998 [ high voice, clarinet, bass clarinet, viola, violoncello and double bass ], from Vorgefühl, no. 2, Frankfurt/M. : Belaieff [sung text not yet checked]
- by Richard Strauß-König (b. 1930), "Die Blätter fallen", 2003 [ baritone and piano ], from Die Blätter fallen, no. 1, Edition Dohr [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Sund (b. 1942), "Herbst", copyright © 2012 [ mixed chorus ], Schott Music [sung text not yet checked]
- by Xaver Paul Thoma (b. 1953), "Herbst", op. 154a (Sieben Gesänge) no. 5 (2007), published c2008 [ baritone and piano ], Asperg : IKURO [sung text not yet checked]
- by Michael Tilson Thomas (b. 1944), "Herbst", 2019 [ mezzo-soprano, bass-baritone, and orchestra ], from Meditations on Rilke, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Klaus Velten (b. 1937), "Herbst" [ mixed chorus ], from Drei Gesänge nach Gedichten von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Peter Visser (b. 1939), "Herbst", 1981, from Zes Rilke-liederen, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Roland Voortman (b. 1953), "Herbst", 1990, copyright © 1990 [ chorus ], Amsterdam : Donemus [sung text not yet checked]
- by Rudolf Wagner-Régeny (1903 - 1969), "Herbst", copyright © 1966 [ voice and piano ], from Dahinter wird Stille, no. 3, Berlin ; Wiesbaden : Bote & Bock [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jörg Ernst Weigand (b. 1940), "Herbst", published 2023 [ voice and piano ], from Traumtage, p.machinery [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karl Weikmann (b. 1962), "Die Blätter fallen", 1997 [ men's chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Elliot Weisgarber (1919 - 2001), "Herbst", 1995 [ voice and piano ], from Vier Lieder, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Harald Weiß (b. 1949), "Herbst", 2009, published 2010 [ boy soprano, soprano, tenor, flugelhorn, mixed chorus, chamber orchestra ], from oratorio Requiem, no. 10, Mainz : Schott Music GmbH & Co. KG, Mainz [sung text not yet checked]
- by Manfred Weiss (b. 1935), "Herbst", 2006 [ alto and piano ], from Lieder vom Ende, no. , Landsberg : Bellmannmusik e.K. - Musikverlag [sung text not yet checked]
- by Heinrich Werlé (1887 - 1955), "Unendlichkeit in der Einsamkeit" [ voices ], from Sieben Kanons, no. 3, Köln : Tonger [sung text not yet checked]
- by Rudolph T. Werther (1896 - 1986), "Herbst" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ekkehard Wölk (b. 1967), "Herbst", 2007 [ bass, piano and percussion ], from Liederzyklus Book of Images. Rilke-Lieder 2, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hermann Wunsch (1884 - 1954), "Herbst" [ voice and orchestra ], from Rilke-Lieder, no. 3, Rob Forberg Musikverlag GmbH & Co [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Danish (Dansk), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Per Nørgård.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in English, a translation by Harry Duncan , "Autumn", copyright © ; composed by Lee Hoiby.
- Also set in English, a translation by Jessie Lemont (1872 - 1947) , "Autumn" ; composed by Mark Aronson.
- Also set in English, a translation by Robert Bly (b. 1926) , "Autumn", copyright © ; composed by Bradley A. Bombardier, Lachlan Skipworth.
- Also set in English, a translation by Vladimir Ussachevsky (1911 - 1990) , copyright © ; composed by Vladimir Ussachevsky.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by James Blair Leishman (1902 - 1963) , "Autumn" ; composed by Martyn Roy Bates, John Beall, Anne Charlotte Clarke.
- Also set in Portuguese (Português), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , "Outono" ; composed by Natho Henn.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (John H. Campbell) , no title, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , "Autumn", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Walter A. Aue) , "Fall", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , "Fall", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "Fall", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Automne", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Autunno", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: John H. Campbell
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 9
Word count: 62
Fall
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
The leaves are falling, falling as from far, as though celestial gardens withered earthward; their fall is a denying silent motion, and in the nights out of the starry ocean the heavy earth falls far from every star. We fall, unseeing? Look, this hand descends and see the other hands: it's in their being. And yet there's One who holds our fall, foreseeing, forever gently in His loving hands.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2008 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Herbst", appears in Das Buch der Bilder, first published 1920
This text was added to the website: 2008-11-20
Line count: 9
Word count: 69