Chant d'un merle prisonnier | Souffle sombre dans les branches vertes

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by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914)

Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Gesang einer gefangenen Amsel

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Dunkler Odem im grünen Gezweig.
Blaue Blümchen umschweben das Antlitz
Des Einsamen, den goldenen Schritt
Ersterbend unter dem Ölbaum.
Aufflattert mit trunknem Flügel die Nacht.
So leise blutet Demut,
Tau, der langsam tropft vom blühenden Dorn.
Strahlender Arme Erbarmen
Umfängt ein brechendes Herz.

Confirmed with Georg Trakl, Das dichterische Werk, München, 1972, page 74.

Text Authorship:

by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), appears in Sebastian im Traum, in Gesang des Abgeschiedenen [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 Cesar Bresgen (1913 - 1988), "Gesang einer gefangenen Amsel", 1980 [ high voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder für hoch Stimme und Klavier, nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Denise Isabelle Roger (1924 - 2005), "Gesang einer gefangenen Amsel", 1962, copyright © 1979, first performed 1979 [ medium voice and piano ], from Deux poèmes de Georg Trakl, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Anton von Webern (1883 - 1945), "Gesang einer gefangenen Amsel", op. 14 (Sechs Lieder nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl (Six songs on poems of Georg Trakl)) no. 6 (1919) [ voice, clarinet, violin, and cello ] [sung text checked 1 time]
by Felix Wolfes (1892 - 1971), "Gesang einer gefangenen Amsel", 1965 [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , "Song of a captive blackbird", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Chant d'un merle prisonnier", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Bertram Kottmann

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 9
Word count: 43

Chant d'un merle prisonnier

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

Souffle sombre dans les branches vertes,
des petites fleurs bleues flottent autour du visage
du solitaire, le pas d'or
mourant sous l'olivier.
La nuit s'envole en battant de ses ailes ivres.
Si doucement saigne l'humilité,
rosée, qui s'égoutte lentement de l'épineux en fleur.
La pitié de ses bras rayonnants
embrasse un cœur qui se brise.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2009 by Guy Laffaille, (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 Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), appears in Sebastian im Traum, in Gesang des Abgeschiedenen
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2009-10-01
Line count: 9
Word count: 55