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It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

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by Johann Ludwig Tieck (1773 - 1853)
Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Wie schnell verschwindet
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA LIT TUR
Wie schnell verschwindet
So Licht als Glanz,
Der Morgen findet
Verwelkt den Kranz,

Der gestern glühte
In aller Pracht,
Denn er verblühte
In dunkler Nacht.

Es schwimmt die Welle
Des Lebens hin,
Und färbt sich helle,
Hat's nicht Gewinn;

Die Sonne neiget,
Die Röte flieht,
Der Schatten steiget
Und Dunkel zieht.

So schwimmt die Liebe
Zu Wüsten ab,
Ach, daß sie bliebe
Bis an das Grab!

Doch wir erwachen
Zu tiefer Qual:
Es bricht der Nachen,
Es löscht der Strahl,

Vom schönen Lande
Weit weggebracht
Zum öden Strande,
Wo um uns Nacht.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Johann Ludwig Tieck (1773 - 1853), no title, appears in Liebesgeschichte der schönen Magelone und des Grafen Peter von Provence, no. 12, chapter heading: "Die Klagen der schönen Magelone" [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), "Wie schnell verschwindet", op. 33 no. 11 (1861-65), published 1865 [ voice and piano ], from Die schöne Magelone. Romanzen aus L. Tiecks Magelone, no. 11, Winterthur, Rieter-Biedermann [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Wilhelm Killmayer (1927 - 2017), "Trauer", 1965, first performed 1966 [ TBarB chorus a cappella ], from Romantische Chorlieder nach Texten von Ludwig Tieck, no. 3, Mainz, Schott [sung text not yet checked]

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Hoe snel verdwijnen nu licht en glans", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , no title, copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Come scompaiono rapidi", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • TUR Turkish (Türkçe) (Gül Sabar) , copyright © 2016, (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: 28
Word count: 92

Comme lumière et clarté
Language: French (Français)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Comme lumière et clarté
Disparaissent vite,
Le matin trouve
La couronne fanée.

Qui hier brillait
De toute sa splendeur,
Mais s'est flétrie
Au cours de la noire nuit.

La vie, comme les vagues,
Dérive au-loin,
Et elle n'a rien gagné
Au lever du jour ;

Le soleil tombe,
Les rougeoiements s'envolent,
Les ombres montent
Et l'obscurité arrive.

Ainsi dérive l'amour
Vers des déserts,
Ah que ne dure-t-il pas
Jusqu'à la tombe !

Mais nous nous éveillons
En proie à de profonds tourments :
La barque est brisée,
La lumière tombe,
 
Emportés loin
Du beau pays,
Vers une plage déserte,
Avec la nuit autour de nous.

About the headline (FAQ)

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.
    Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Ludwig Tieck (1773 - 1853), no title, appears in Liebesgeschichte der schönen Magelone und des Grafen Peter von Provence, no. 12, chapter heading: "Die Klagen der schönen Magelone"
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2010-12-03
Line count: 28
Word count: 102

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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