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by Friedrich von Hardenberg (1772 - 1801), as Novalis
Translation © by Robert Bly (b. 1926)

Wenn nicht mehr Zahlen und Figuren
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Wenn nicht mehr Zahlen und Figuren
Sind Schlüssel aller Kreaturen
Wenn die so singen, oder küssen,
Mehr als die Tiefgelehrten wissen,
Wenn sich die Welt ins freye Leben
Und in die Welt wird zurück begeben,
Wenn dann sich wieder Licht und Schatten
Zu ächter Klarheit wieder gatten,
Und man in Mährchen und Gedichten
Erkennt die wahren Weltgeschichten,
Dann fliegt vor Einem geheimen Wort
Das ganze verkehrte Wesen fort.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Friedrich von Hardenberg (1772 - 1801), as Novalis, no title, appears in Heinrich von Ofterdingen [fragment], Wien (Vienna), Schade, first published 1827 [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 Giselher Wolfgang Klebe (1925 - 2009), "Wenn nicht mehr Zahlen und Figuren", op. 38 (Fünf Lieder) no. 5, published 1962 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in English, a translation by Robert Bly (b. 1926) , no title, appears in News of the Universe: Poems of Twofold Consciousness, Sierra Club, first published 1980, copyright © ; composed by Michael Alec Rose.
      • Go to the text.

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

  • ENG English (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist) , appears in Henry of Ofterdingen, first published 1842


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-02-04
Line count: 12
Word count: 68

When geometric diagrams and digits
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
When geometric diagrams and digits
 [ ... ]

About the headline (FAQ)

This text may be copyright, so we will not display it until we obtain permission to do so or discover it is public-domain.

Text Authorship:

  • by Robert Bly (b. 1926), no title, appears in News of the Universe: Poems of Twofold Consciousness, Sierra Club, first published 1980, copyright © [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich von Hardenberg (1772 - 1801), as Novalis, no title, appears in Heinrich von Ofterdingen [fragment], Wien (Vienna), Schade, first published 1827
    • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Michael Alec Rose , "When geometric diagrams and digits", 1985 [high voice and piano], from Five Songs for High Voice and Piano, no. 1. [
     text verified 1 time
    ]

This text was added to the website: 2010-02-04
Line count: 12
Word count: 84

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