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It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

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by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Er lag. Sein aufgestelltes Anglitz war
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG FRE
Er lag. Sein aufgestelltes Anglitz war 
bleich und verweigernd in den steilen Kissen,
seitdem die Welt und dieses Von-ihr-Wissen,
von seinen Sinnen abgerissen, 
zurückfiel an das teilnahmslose Jahr.

Die, so ihn leben sahen, wußten nicht,
wie sehr er Eines war mit allem diesen;
denn Dieses: diese Tiefen, diese Wiesen
und diese Wasser waren sein Gesicht.

O sein Gesicht war diese ganze Weite,
die jetzt noch zu ihm will und um ihn wirbt,
und seine Maske, die nun bang verstirbt,
ist zart und offen wie die Innenseite 
von einer Frucht, die an der Luft verdirbt.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Der Tod des Dichters", appears in Neue Gedichte, first published 1892 [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 Riccardo Malipiero (1914 - 2003), "La morte del poeta", 1965, published c1965 [ voice and guitar ], from Due ballate, no. 1, Milano : Suvini Zerboni [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by François Serrette (1927 - 1999), "Er lag. Sein aufgestelltes Antlitz war bleich..." [ voice and orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906 - 1975), "Der Tod des Dichters", op. 135 no. 10, from Symphony no. 14, no. 10, also set in Russian (Русский) [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Tamara Isaakovna Silman (1909 - 1974) , copyright © ; composed by Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich.
    • Go to the text.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "La mort del poeta", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Salvador Pila) , "Death of a poet", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "La mort du poète", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: John Versmoren

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 94

La mort du poète
Language: French (Français)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Il repose. Son visage était exposé,
blême et fermé sur le coussin abrupt,
depuis que cette connaissance-du-monde
arrachée de sa tête
fut retombée dans l'année renoncée.

Ceux qui le voyaient vivre ne savaient pas
comme il était un avec toute chose ;
car tout cela : ces profondeurs, ces prairies
et ces eaux étaient sa figure.

Ô sa figure était cette étendue toute entière
qui encore aujourd'hui lui fait sa cour,
et son masque anxieux maintenant décédé
est tendre et ouvert comme l'intérieur
d'un fruit qui pourrit à l'air.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2012 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 Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Der Tod des Dichters", appears in Neue Gedichte, first published 1892
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2013-01-10
Line count: 14
Word count: 87

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–Emily Ezust, Founder

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