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Die Puppen laden hölzerne Geschütze. Schon sinkt Im Korktod Dummer August blaß. Geschminkte Hände halten Säbelblech. Der Wangen rote Tulpen Blühen faul. Die Augen (sanfte Augen der Natur) Entgleiten maulwurfunterwürfig in den dunklen Erdbraunen Nachtgott. Ihn ersah Zum Ziel sich die bedeutende Strategin, Die Liebe, die durch tausend Reifen sprang, Auf Pferdchen äffchensamt geritten, Den Himmel der Manege spaltete. Vom Turmseil schwirrte Der entthronte Künstler. Der Kopf Fraß blutend Sägespäne. Und die Hände (die schönen Hände, die den Balancierstock schwangen, den silbernen, mit Löwenkopf gezierten), Sie riefen Hilfe im Ertrinken, Versinken unterm Sand. Das Publikum Schoß Beifall aus kanonengleichen Mäulern.
Text Authorship:
- by Alfred Henschke (1890 - 1928), as Jucundus Fröhlich Klabund, "Zirkus" [author's text not yet checked 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 Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Zirkus", 2011 [baritone and piano] [ sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "Circus", written 2011, copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2012-01-02
Line count: 26
Word count: 100
The marionettes carry big wooden guns. In a cork death pratfalls a silly, pale clown. Painted hands wield Sheet metal sabers. Tulip red cheeks Blossom lazily. Eyes (soft eyes of nature) slip away into the mole-fawning, earth-brown god of the dark night . They saw the brilliant tricksters obviously, as love which sprang through a thousand hoops, Riding with chimps atop ponies, Split the canopy of the center ring. From the high wire buzzed down The trapeze artist. The head Buried itself bleeding in sawdust. And the hands (the lovely hands, that swung the balance beam, the silvered, decorated with a lion's head), They gestured for help in their inundation, Sunken into the sand. The public Sprang up approving with a cannonade of moans.
Text Authorship:
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Circus", written 2011, copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Alfred Henschke (1890 - 1928), as Jucundus Fröhlich Klabund, "Zirkus"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2012-01-02
Line count: 26
Word count: 124