Les rats | La lune d'automne baigne de blanc la cour

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by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914)

Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Die Ratten

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE ITA

In Hof scheint weiß der herbstliche Mond.
Vom Dachrand fallen phantastische Schatten.
Ein Schweigen in leeren Fenstern wohnt;
Da tauchen leise herauf die Ratten
 
Und huschen pfeifend hier und dort
Und ein gräulicher Dunsthauch wittert
Ihnen nach aus dem Abort,
Den geisterhaft der Mondschein durchzittert
 
Und sie keifen vor Gier wie toll
Und erfüllen Haus und Scheunen,
Die von Korn und Früchten voll.
Eisige Winde im Dunkel greinen.

Text Authorship:

by Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), "Die Ratten", appears in Gedichte 1909 -1913 [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 Stefan Heucke , "Die Ratten", op. 1 no. 2 (1978/80) [ high voice and string quintet ], from Drei Gesänge nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Steffen Schleiermacher (b. 1960), "Die Ratten", 1984/5 [ chorus a cappella ], from Vier Chöre nach Gedichten von Georg Trakl, no. 3, Deutscher Verlag für Musik [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , "The rats", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Les rats", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "I topi", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-10-29
Line count: 12
Word count: 68

Les rats

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

La lune d'automne baigne de blanc la cour.
Des ombres fantastiques tombent du bord du toit.
Un silence habite les fenêtres vides ;
Alors émergent doucement les rats

Et en couinant ils se glissent ça et là
Et une émanation grisâtre s'exhale
Derrière eux en provenance des latrines,
Tremblement fantomatique dans le clair de lune

Et comme fous, ils glapissent de voracité
Et emplissent maisons et granges
Emplies de grains et de fruits.
Des vents glacés pleurnichent dans le noir.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2011 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 Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914), "Die Ratten", appears in Gedichte 1909 -1913
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2011-04-04
Line count: 12
Word count: 79