Karfreitag | Verhangener Tag, im Wald noch Schnee

by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)

Karfreitag

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG

Verhangener Tag, im Wald noch Schnee,
Im kahlen Holz die Amsel singt:
Des Frühlings Atem ängstlich schwingt,
Von Lust geschwellt, beschwert von Weh.

So schweigsam steht und klein im Gras                      
Das Krokusvolk, das Veilchennest,
Es duftet scheu und weiß nicht was,
Es duftet Tod und duftet Fest.

Baumknospen stehn von Tränen blind,
Der Himmel hängt so bang und nah,                                        
Und alle Gärten, Hügel sind
Gethsemane und Golgatha.

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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, pages 313-314.

Text Authorship:

by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Karfreitag", written 1931 [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 Julius Klaas (1888 - 1965), "Karfreitag", op. 5 no. 1, published 1939 [ high voice and piano ], from Fünf Lieder nach Dichtungen von Hermann Hesse, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Karl Scholz , "Karfreitag", 1958 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Gedichte von Hermann Hesse, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Anton Würz (1903 - 1995), "Karfreitag", op. 36 no. 1 (1948) [ baritone and piano ], from Sechs Lieder für Bariton nach Gedichten von Hermann Hesse, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

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

This text was added to the website: 2009-05-16
Line count: 12
Word count: 67