Massa tard | Passat de moda, el castell s'aguanta amb pilars esvelts

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by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)

Translation © by Salvador Pila

Zu spät

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE

Altmodisch steht mit schmächtigen Pilastern
Wie sonst das Schloß. Auf violetten Astern
Irrt noch ein später Falter her und hin
Mit krankem Flügelschlagen,
Und welke Beete sagen,
Daß ich zu spät gekommen bin.

Und am Balkon in seidenen Gewändern,
Mit stolzen Augen in vertrübten Rändern,
Steht trüb und stolz die blasse Königin,
Und will die Hand erheben,--
Und kann mir nicht vergeben,
Daß ich zu spät gekommen bin.

Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.

Confirmed with Hermann Hesse, Sämtliche Werke, herausgegeben von Volker Michels, Band 10 Die Gedichte, bearbeitet von Peter Huber, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2002, pages 10-11.

Text Authorship:

by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Zu spät", subtitle: "(1897)", written 1897 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Christian Immo Schneider (b. 1935), "Zu spät", 1980 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Massa tard", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Too late", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Trop tard", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2009-06-02
Line count: 12
Word count: 68

Massa tard

Language: Catalan (Català) after the German (Deutsch)

Passat de moda, el castell s'aguanta amb pilars esvelts,
 com en altres temps. Damunt àsters violats,
una papallona tardana vola encara d'un costat a l'altre
amb un feble batec de les seves ales,
i els parterres marcits em diuen
que he arribat massa tard.

I al balcó, amb vestits de seda,
amb ulls altius emmarcats per la tristesa,
s'hi troba la reina pàl·lida, solemne i orgullosa,
i vol  alçar la mà...
Però no em pot perdonar
d’haver arribat massa tard.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2026 by Salvador Pila, (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 Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Zu spät", subtitle: "(1897)", written 1897
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-04-05
Line count: 12
Word count: 80