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Welch schönes Jenseits ist in deinen Staub gemalt. Durch den Flammenkern der Erde, durch ihre steinerne Schale wurdest du gereicht, Abschiedswebe in der Vergänglichkeiten Maß. Schmetterling aller Wesen gute Nacht! Die Gewichte von Leben und Tod senken sich mit deinen Flügeln auf die Rose nieder die mit dem heimwärts reifenden Licht welkt. Welch schönes Jenseits ist in deinen Staub gemalt. Welch Königszeichen im Geheimnis der Luft.
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
Authorship
- by Nelly Sachs (1891 - 1970), "Schmetterling" [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 Hermann Reutter (1900 - 1985), "Schmetterling", 1972, published c1973 [ medium voice and piano ], from Vier Lieder, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Meinrad Schütter (1910 - 2006), "Schmetterling", 1997 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Zwei Gesänge nach Texten von Nelly Sachs [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (John Glenn Paton) , "Butterfly", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-06-24
Line count: 16
Word count: 66
What a beautiful afterlife is painted in your dust. Through the flaming core of earth, through its stony shell, you were led, webs of farewell in the measure of transitory things. Butterfly, to all beings, good night! The weights of life and death sink down with your wings upon the rose, which withers with the light maturing homewards. What a beautiful afterlife is painted in your dust. What royal sign in the secret of the air.
Authorship
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2009 by John Glenn Paton, (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:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Nelly Sachs (1891 - 1970), "Schmetterling"
This text was added to the website: 2009-08-06
Line count: 16
Word count: 76