In diesen Wintertagen,
Nun sich das Licht verhüllt,
Laß uns im Herzen tragen,
Einander traulich sagen,
Was uns mit innerm Licht erfüllt.
Was milde Glut entzündet,
Soll brennen fort und fort,
Was Seelen zart verbündet,
Und Geisterbrücken gründet,
Sei unser leises Losungswort.
Das Rad der Zeit mag rollen,
Wir greifen kaum hinein,
Dem Schein der Welt verschollen,
Auf unserm Eiland wollen
Wir Tag und Nacht der sel'gen Liebe weih'n.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Winterweihe", 2009 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Arnold Franz Walter Schoenberg (1874 - 1951), "In diesen Wintertagen", op. 14 (2 Lieder) no. 2 (1908), note: Schoenberg lists the poet as Georg Henckel [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Richard Georg Strauss (1864 - 1949), "Winterweihe", op. 48 (Fünf Lieder nach Gedichten von Otto Julius Bierbaum und Karl Henckell) no. 4 (1900), published 1901 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Fürstner [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Adolf Wallnöfer (1854 - 1946), "Winterweihe", op. 97 (Duette für hohe und tiefe stimmen) no. 1 [ vocal duet with piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "In these winter days", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Consacrazione d'inverno", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Martin Zubiria) , "Consagración invernal", copyright © 2007, (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: 15
Word count: 69
In these winter days,
now the light disguises itself,
let us bear in our hearts
and say confidentially to one another
what fills ourselves with inner light.
That which inflames mild ardor,
should burn on and on;
that which tenderly binds souls
and builds ghostly bridges
should be our soft password.
The wheel of time may roll,
but we hardly grasp it,
forgotten in the glow of the world.
On our island we would
dedicate day and night to blissful Love.