Tristesse du ciel | Devant le visage du ciel voyage une pensée

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by Nikolaus Lenau (1802 - 1850)

Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Himmelstrauer

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Am Himmelsantlitz wandelt ein Gedanke,
Die düstre Wolke dort, so bang, so schwer;
Wie auf dem Lager sich der Seelenkranke,
Wirft sich der Strauch im Winde hin und her.

Vom Himmel tönt ein schwermutmattes Grollen,
Die dunkle Wimper blinzet manches Mal,
- So blinzen Augen, wenn sie weinen wollen, -
Und aus der Wimper zuckt ein schwacher Strahl.

Nun schleichen aus dem Moore kühle Schauer
Und leise Nebel übers Heideland;
Der Himmel ließ, nachsinnend seiner Trauer,
Die Sonne lässig fallen aus der Hand.

Text Authorship:

by Nikolaus Lenau (1802 - 1850), "Himmelstrauer", appears in Gedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch, in Heidebilder [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 Carl von Grote , "Himmelstrauer", op. 36 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Stimme mit Pianofortebleitung) no. 4, published 1886 [ medium voice and piano ], Braunschweig, Bauer [sung text not yet checked]
by Othmar Schoeck (1886 - 1957), "Himmelstrauer", op. 5 no. 1 (1905) [ voice and piano ], from Drei Gedichte von Lenau, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in Swedish (Svenska), a translation by Gustaf Fröding (1860 - 1911) , "Hedstämning" ; composed by Natanael Berg.
- Go to the text.

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

ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Heaven's grief", copyright ©
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Tristesse du ciel", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Jakob Kellner

This text was added to the website: 2003-10-13
Line count: 12
Word count: 81

Tristesse du ciel

Language: French (Français) after the German (Deutsch)

Devant le visage du ciel voyage une pensée,
Ce lugubre nuage là-bas, si anxieuse, si lourde;
Comme un malade de l'âme sur sa couche
Le buisson se jette de-ci de-là dans le vent.

Du ciel retentit un grondement lourd et atone,
Le sombre cil papillote plusieurs fois,
(Ainsi papillotent les yeux quand on veut pleurer,)
Et d'entre les cils palpite un faible rayon.

Venant du marécage une froide averse s'approche
Ainsi qu'un léger brouillard sur la lande;
Méditant sa tristesse, le ciel laisse
Nonchalamment tomber de ses mains le soleil.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2009 by Pierre Mathé, (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 Nikolaus Lenau (1802 - 1850), "Himmelstrauer", appears in Gedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch, in Heidebilder
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2009-06-10
Line count: 12
Word count: 90