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Alt geworden bist Du, grünes Jahr, Blickst schon welk und trägst schon Schnee im Haar, Gehst schon müd und hast den Tod im Schritt- Ich begleite Dich, ich sterbe mit. Zögernd geht das [Herz den bangen]1 Pfad, Angstvoll schläft im Schnee die Wintersaat. Wieviel Äste brach mir schon der Wind, Deren Narben nun mein Panzer sind! Wieviel bittere Tode starb ich schon! Neugeburt war jedes Todes Lohn. Sei willkommen, Tod, du dunkles Tor! Jenseits läutet hell des Lebens Chor.
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.
View original text (without footnotes)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 262-263.
1 Scholz: "bange Herze den"Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Erster Schnee", written 1919 [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 Karl Scholz , "Erster Schnee", 1958 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Gedichte von Hermann Hesse, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Primera neu", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "First snowfall", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Laura Kinderman) , "First snow", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Première neige", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-06-04
Line count: 12
Word count: 80
You have grown old, green year, [You] already look withered and are wearing snow upon your hair, [You] already walk tiredly and have death in your footfall -- I accompany you, I die along with you. Haltingly my [heart walks the apprehensive]1 pathway, Fearfully the winter grain sleeps in the snow. How many branches the wind has already broken for me, Whose scars are now my carapace! How many bitter deaths have I already died! Rebirth has been the recompense of every death. Welcome, death, you dark gateway! The chorus of life peals out brightly on the other side.
1 Scholz: "apprehensive heart walks the"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2010 by Sharon Krebs, (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), "Erster Schnee", written 1919
This text was added to the website: 2010-06-19
Line count: 12
Word count: 99