Phénomène | Quand à un mur de pluie

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by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Phänomen

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA

Wenn zu der Regenwand
Phöbus sich gattet,
Gleich steht ein Bogenrand
Farbig beschattet.

Im Nebel gleichen Kreis 
Seh ich gezogen;
Zwar ist der Bogen weiß,
Doch Himmelsbogen.

So sollst du, muntrer Greis,
Dich nicht betrüben:
Sind gleich die Haare weiß,
Doch wirst du lieben.

Text Authorship:

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Phänomen", written 1816, appears in West-östlicher Divan, in 1. Buch des Sängers -- Moganni Nameh, first published 1814 [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 Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Phänomen", op. 61 (Vier Duette) no. 3 (1874) [ vocal duet ] [sung text checked 1 time]
by Wolfgang Michael Rihm (1952 - 2024), "Phänomen", 2004-7, first performed 2007 [ baritone and piano ], from Goethe-Lieder, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
by Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903), "Phänomen", 1888-9, published 1891 [ voice and piano ], from Goethe-Lieder, no. 32, Mainz, Schott [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Fenomen", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Fenomeen", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Siân Goldthorpe) (Christian Stein) , "Phenomenon", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Phénomène", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Giulio Cesare Barozzi) , "Fenomeno", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Siân Goldthorpe

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 44

Phénomène

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

Quand à un mur de pluie
Phébus s'unit,
Immédiatement apparaît un arc
Ombré de plein de couleurs.

Dans la brume j'ai vu un cercle
semblable dessiné ;
Certes l'arc est blanc ;
Pourtant c'est l'arc du ciel.

Aussi tu ne dois pas, allègre vieillard,
T'affliger :
Bien que tes cheveux soient blancs,
Pourtant tu aimeras.

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 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Phänomen", written 1816, appears in West-östlicher Divan, in 1. Buch des Sängers -- Moganni Nameh, first published 1814
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2009-12-22
Line count: 12
Word count: 52