Toujours plus étroit, doucement, doucement

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by Theodor Fontane (1819 - 1898)

Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Immer enger, leise, leise

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Immer enger, leise, leise
Ziehen sich die Lebenskreise,
Schwindet hin, was prahlt und prunkt,
Schwindet Hoffen, Hassen, Lieben,
Uns ist nichts in Sicht geblieben
Als der letzte dunkle Punkt.

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Text Authorship:

by Theodor Fontane (1819 - 1898), "Ausgang" [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 Peter Escher (1915 - 2008), "Immer enger, leiser, leise", op. 153 no. 11 (1994) [ voice and piano ], from Lieder nach Gedichten verschiedenen Schriftsteller, no. 11 [sung text not yet checked]
by Lionel Rogg (b. 1936), "Ausgang", published 2007 [ soprano and piano ], from Wellen. Sieben Lieder für Sopran und Klavier, no. 7 [sung text not yet checked]
by Ernest Vietor (flourished 1905-1930), "Ausgang", op. 14 no. 11 (1936) [sung text checked 1 time]

The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:

by Hans Gál (1890 - 1987), "Dämmerung", op. 70 no. 5 (1955), published 1956, first performed 1956 [ SATB soli, mixed chorus (boys, SATB), and orchestra ], from Lebenskreise, no. 5, Alkor Edition, Kassel
- View the full text. [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Ending", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2010, (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: 6
Word count: 29

Toujours plus étroit, doucement,...

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

Toujours plus étroit, doucement, doucement
Se rétrécit le cercle de la vie,
Décline le surfait et le brillant
Décline l'espoir, la haine et l'amour,
Il ne nous reste plus rien en vue
Que le dernier point noir.

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Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2010 by Pierre Mathé, (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 Theodor Fontane (1819 - 1898), "Ausgang"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2010-10-07
Line count: 6
Word count: 37