Over the wintry mere

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by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914)

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

Über den weißen Weiher

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE ITA

Über den weißen Weiher
Sind die wilden Vögel fortgezogen.
Am Abend weht von unseren Sternen ein eisiger Wind.

Über unsere Gräber
Beugt sich die zerbrochene Stirne der Nacht.
Unter Eichen schaukeln wir auf einem silbernen Kahn.

Immer klingen die weißen Mauern der Stadt.
Unter Dornenbogen
O mein Bruder klimmen wir blinde Zeiger gen Mitternacht.

About the headline (FAQ)

Dedication: An Karl Borromaeus Heinrich

Text Authorship:

by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), "Untergang (5. Fassung)", appears in Sebastian im Traum, in Siebengesang des Todes [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 Philippe Hersant (b. 1948), "La descente aux profondeurs", subtitle: "Untergang", 2011, published 2012 [ baritone and piano ], from In die Ferne, no. 2, Paris, Éd. Durand [sung text not yet checked]
by Wilhelm Killmayer (1927 - 2017), "Untergang (5. Fassung)", 1996, first performed 1996 [ tenor and piano ], from Trakl-Lieder II : Schweigen und Kindheit, no. 2, Mainz, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
by Wolfgang Michael Rihm (1952 - 2024), "Untergang", op. 1 no. 1 (1969) [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Rovina", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Bertram Kottmann

This text was added to the website: 2007-02-01
Line count: 9
Word count: 54

Over the wintry mere

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Over the wintry mere
the fowls of the air have moved away.
At nightfall there's an icy wind blowing down from our stars.

Over the graves of ours
the shattered brow of night is bent.
Below the boughs of oaks we sway on a silvern boat.

Over and over the town's white walls resound.
Under arches of thorns,
o my brother, we climb towards the midnight hour, clockhands blind.

About the headline (FAQ)

Translation of titel "Untergang (5. Fassung)" = "Doom (fifth version)"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2009 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), "Untergang (5. Fassung)", appears in Sebastian im Traum, in Siebengesang des Todes
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2009-10-14
Line count: 9
Word count: 69