Hyperions noodlotslied | Gij wandelt boven in 't licht

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by Friedrich Hölderlin (1770 - 1843)

Translation © by Lau Kanen

Ihr wandelt droben im Licht

Language: German (Deutsch)

Available translation(s): CAT DUT ENG ENG ITA

Ihr wandelt droben im Licht
  Auf weichem Boden, selige Genien!
    Glänzende Götterlüfte
      Rühren euch leicht,
        Wie die Finger der Künstlerin
          Heilige Saiten.

Schicksallos, wie der schlafende
  Säugling, atmen die Himmlischen;
    Keusch bewahrt
      In bescheidener Knospe,
        Blühet ewig
          Ihnen der Geist,
            Und die seligen Augen
              Blicken in stiller
                Ewiger Klarheit.

Doch uns ist gegeben,
  Auf keiner Stätte zu ruh'n;
    Es schwinden, es fallen
      Die leidenden Menschen
        Blindlings von einer
          Stunde [zur]¹ andern,
            Wie Wasser von Klippe
              Zu Klippe geworfen,
                Jahrlang in's Ungewisse hinab.

F. Cerha sets stanza 3

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Confirmed with Friedrich Hölderlin's Sämmtliche Werke, herausgegeben von Christoph Theodor Schwab, Erster Band: "Gedichte und Hyperion", Stuttgart und Tübingen, J. G. Cotta'scher Verlag, 1846, pages 122-123; note: the indentation shown above doesn't appear in this edition, but occurs in later editions.

Note: Hyperion is the title character of an unfinished novel in which Hölderlin wrote about the Greek struggle for independence from the Turks.

¹ Cerha: "zu"

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Hölderlin (1770 - 1843), "Hyperions Schicksalslied", written 1798, appears in Gedichte 1784-1800 [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), "Hyperions Schicksalslied", alternate title: "Schicksalslied", op. 54 (1868), published 1872 [ SATB chorus and orchestra ], Berlin, Simrock [sung text checked 1 time]
by Friedrich Cerha (b. 1926), "Doch uns ist gegeben", 1995, stanza 3, from Acht Sätze nach Hölderlin-Fragmenten, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Wolfgang Fortner (1907 - 1987), "Hyperions Schicksalslied", 1933 [ medium voice and piano ], from Vier Gesänge nach Worten von Hölderlin, no. 2, Schott Music [sung text checked 1 time]
by Josef Matthias Hauer (1883 - 1959), "Hyperions Schicksalslied", op. 6 (Fünf Lieder) no. 2 (1914) [sung text checked 1 time]
by Gabriel Marcel (1889 - 1973), "Hyperion Schicksalslied", 1945-1946 [ voice and piano ], from Mélodies. Cahiers 3, no. 9 [sung text not yet checked]
by Michael Ostrzyga (b. 1975), "Ihr wandelt droben im Licht", 2017 [ mixed chorus ], from Drift, Chorus XXI : Perspektiven neuer Chormusik [sung text not yet checked]
by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov (1948 - 2020), "Hyperions Schicksalslied", op. 31 no. 4, published 1980, first performed 1981 [ voice and organ ], from Schicksalslieder (Pesny sud'by), no. 4, also set in Russian (Русский) [sung text checked 1 time]
by Walter Steffens (b. 1934), "Hyperions Schicksalslied", op. 95 no. 1 (2008) [ voice and piano ], from Fünf Gesänge auf Hölderlin für mittlere Gesangsstimme und Klavier, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Erich J. Wolff (1874 - 1913), "Hyperions Schicksalslied", op. 10 (Zwei Gesänge) no. 1, published 1907 [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in French (Français), a translation by Hélène de Wendel (1902 - 1986) , copyright © ; composed by Henri-Pierre Poupard, as Henri Sauguet.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov (1948 - 2020) ; composed by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov.
- Go to the text.

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

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 82

Hyperions noodlotslied

Language: Dutch (Nederlands) after the German (Deutsch)

Gij wandelt boven in 't licht
Op zachte bodem, zalige geesten!
Glinst'rende godenwinden
Raken u licht,
Als de vingers der harpspeelster
Heilige snaren.
 
Noodlotloos, als de slapende
Zuigeling, aad'men de heem'lingen;
Kuis bewaard in een nietige bloemknop
Bloeit voor eeuwig
Voor hen de Geest,
En hun zalige ogen
Schouwen in stille,
Eeuwige klaarte.
 
Doch ons is gegeven
Geen enkel plekje voor rust.
Ze wijken, ze vallen,
De lijdende mensen,
Blind'lings van 't ene
Tijdblok in 't and're,
Als water van rotsblok
Op rotsblok geworpen,
Eind'loos in 't Ongewisse omlaag.

Text Authorship:

Singable translation from German (Deutsch) to Dutch (Nederlands) copyright © 2011 by Lau Kanen, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., please ask the copyright-holder(s) directly.
Lau Kanen. Contact: boudewijnkanen (AT) gmail (DOT) com

If the copyright-holder(s) are unreachable for three business days, please write to: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Hölderlin (1770 - 1843), "Hyperions Schicksalslied", written 1798, appears in Gedichte 1784-1800
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2011-08-06
Line count: 23
Word count: 89

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Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.