by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)
Translation possibly by Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe KG, PC, The Lord Houghton (1858 - 1945)
Bewegungslos
Language: German (Deutsch)
Wie langsam kriechet sie dahin, Die Zeit, die schauderhafte Schnecke! Ich aber, ganz bewegungslos Blieb ich hier auf demselben Flecke. In meine dunkle Zelle dringt Kein Sonnenstrahl, kein Hoffnungsschimmer, Ich weiß, nur mit der Kirchhofsgruft Vertausch ich dies fatale Zimmer. Vielleicht bin ich gestorben längst; Es sind vielleicht nur Spukgestalten Die Phantasien, die des Nachts Im Hirn den bunten Umzug halten. Es mögen wohl Gespenster sein, Altheidnisch göttlichen Gelichters; Sie wählen gern zum Tummelplatz Den Schädel eines toten Dichters. - Die schaurig süßen Orgia, Das nächtlich tolle Geistertreiben, Sucht des Poeten Leichenhand Manchmal am Morgen aufzuschreiben.
Text Authorship:
- by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), appears in Gedichte 1853 und 1854, in 8. Zum Lazarus, no. 3 [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 Hans Georg Pflüger (1944 - 1999), "Bewegungslos", op. 26 no. 5 [ bass-baritone and piano ], from Lazarus : zehn Lamentationen 'Aus der Matratzengruft' von Heinrich Heine, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Otokar Fischer) , "Jak pomalu..."
- ENG English (Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe KG, PC, The Lord Houghton) , "Bewegungslos", appears in Poems Selected from Heinrich Heine, ed. by Kate Freiligrath Kroeker, London: Walter Scott, Limited, pages 245-246, first published 1887
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-11-09
Line count: 20
Word count: 95
Bewegungslos
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Old Time is lame and halt, The snail can barely crawl: But how should I find fault, Who cannot move at all? No gleam of cheerful sun! No hope my life to save! I have two rooms, the one I die in and the grave. May be, I've long been dead, May be, a giddy train Of phantoms fills my head, And haunts what was my brain. These dear old gods or devils, Who see me stiff and dull, May like to dance their revels In a dead Poet's skull. Their rage of weird delight Is luscious pain to me: And my bony fingers write What daylight must not see.
Note: the poet is given only as "Lord Houghton" in Kroeker's anthology.
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
Text Authorship:
- possibly by Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe KG, PC, The Lord Houghton (1858 - 1945), "Bewegungslos", appears in Poems Selected from Heinrich Heine, ed. by Kate Freiligrath Kroeker, London: Walter Scott, Limited, pages 245-246, first published 1887 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), appears in Gedichte 1853 und 1854, in 8. Zum Lazarus, no. 3
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 page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2013-01-18
Line count: 20
Word count: 110