by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861)
Translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
Let the world's sharpness like a...
Language: English
Let the world's sharpness like a clasping knife Shut in upon itself and do no harm In this close hand of Love, now soft and warm, And let us hear no sound of human strife After the click of the shutting. Life to life -- I lean upon thee, Dear, without alarm, And feel as safe as guarded by a charm Against the stab of worldlings, who if rife Are weak to injure. Very whitely still The lilies of our lives may reassure Their blossoms from their roots, accessible Alone to heavenly dews that drop not fewer; Growing straight, out of man's reach, on the hill. God only, who made us rich, can make us poor.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), appears in Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 24, first published 1847 [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 Eleanor Everest Freer (1864 - 1942), "Let the world's sharpness like a clasping knife", published 1910 [ medium voice and piano ], from Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 24 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hubert du Plessis (b. 1922), "Let the world's sharpness", op. 15 (Three Sonnets from the Portuguese) no. ? (1954), first performed 1956 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Rainer Maria Rilke) , no title, appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 24, first published 1908
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-07-24
Line count: 14
Word count: 115
So wie ein scharfes Messer laß die Welt
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
So wie ein scharfes Messer laß die Welt zuspringen. Wenn der Liebe Hand sie hält, so muß sie zu sein; wie sie in die Schale einklappt, erklingt sie uns zum letzten Male feindsälig. All mein Sein, in Sicherheit an deins gelehnt, ist wunderbar gefeit gegen die Äußerlinge, deren Dolche ohnmächtig sind. Wir haben eine solche getroste Kraft in unserm Blütenstand, daß sie den weißen Blüten unverwandt zuredet aus der Wurzel; weiß zu bleiben, auf ihrem Hügel still für sich zu treiben, dem Tau nur offen, der nicht alle wird. Nur Gott macht reich und arm, durch nichts beirrt.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 24, first published 1908 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), appears in Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 24, first published 1847
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-02-19
Line count: 14
Word count: 98