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Litt einst ein Fähnlein große Not, halb war es gelb, halb war es rot und wollte gern zusammen zu einer lichten Flammen. Es zog sich, wand sich, wellte sich, es knitterte, es schnellte sich - umsonst! es mocht nicht glücken, die Naht zu überbrücken. Da kam ein Wolkenbruch daher und wusch das Fähnlein kreuz und quer, daß Rot und Gelb, zerflossen, voll Inbrunst sich genossen. Des Fähnleins Herren freilich war des Vorgangs Freudigkeit nicht klar - indes, die sich besaßen, nun alle Welt vergaßen.
Text Authorship:
- by Christian Morgenstern (1871 - 1914), "Kleine Geschichte" [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 Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Kleine Geschichte", 2011 [ baritone or bass and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Robert Kahn (1865 - 1951), "Kleine Geschichte", op. 31 (Neun Lieder nach Gedichten von Christian Morgenstern) no. 4, published 1899 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Leuckart [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ernst Toch (1887 - 1964), "Kleine Geschichte", op. 41 no. 6, published 1928 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "Little story", 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: 2004-07-11
Line count: 16
Word count: 82
A troop's little banner suffered great distress, for half was yellow, the other half red and it wanted very much to burn as one bright flame instead. It pulled, it writhed, it waved, it crumpled and it whipped -- in vain it was unlucky, for the seam was always ripped. Suddenly came a cloudburst and washed it from hither to yon, that the red and yellow bled, as so together were frawn. The men under that banner did not clearly understand, but in as much as they did, the world has now forgotten that little band.
Text Authorship:
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Little story", 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 Christian Morgenstern (1871 - 1914), "Kleine Geschichte"
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: 2012-01-05
Line count: 16
Word count: 95