Nous peuplions les lugubres et crépusculaires

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by Stefan George (1868 - 1933)

Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Wir bevölkerten die abend‑düstern

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE ITA

Wir bevölkerten die abend-düstern
Lauben · lichten tempel · pfad und beet
Freudig – sie mit lächeln ich mit flüstern –
Nun ist wahr dass sie für immer geht.
Hohe blumen blassen oder brechen ·
Es erblasst und bricht der weiher glas
Und ich trete fehl im morschen gras ·
Palmen mit den spitzen fingern stechen.
Mürber blätter zischendes gewühl
Jagen ruckweis unsichtbare hände
Draussen um des edens fahle wände.
Die nacht ist überwölkt und schwül.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Stefan George, Die Bücher der Hirten- und Preisgedichte, der Sagen und Sänge und der hängenden Gärten. Gesamt-Ausgabe der Werke, Band 3, Berlin, 1930, page 111.

Text Authorship:

by Stefan George (1868 - 1933), no title, appears in Das Buch der hängenden Gärten [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 Arnold Franz Walter Schoenberg (1874 - 1951), "Wir bevölkerten die abend-düstern", op. 15 no. 15 (1908-9), from Das Buch der hängenden Gärten, no. 15 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Ens allotjàvem de bon grat en foscos fullatges", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "We inhabited the evening-dimmed", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Abbiamo abitato il fogliame che a sera", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 76

Nous peuplions les lugubres et...

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

Nous peuplions les lugubres et crépusculaires
Feuillages, temples éclairés, sentiers et chemins,
Joyeux - elle de rires, moi de murmures -
Maintenant c'est vrai, qu'elle est partie pour toujours.
Les fleurs pâlissent ou se brisent
Le miroir des eaux pâlit et se brise
Et j'ai failli marcher dans l'herbe pourrie,
Palmes avec vos doigts pointus vous m'avez fait mal.
Le tumulte strident des feuilles fanées
Est chassé brutalement par des mains invisibles
Hors des murs de l'Éden blême.
La nuit est nuageuse et lourde.

About the headline (FAQ)

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.
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Stefan George (1868 - 1933), no title, appears in Das Buch der hängenden Gärten
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2009-10-27
Line count: 12
Word count: 82