×
Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
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.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
Translation © by Pierre Mathé
Die Blätter fallen, fallen wie von weit
Language: German (Deutsch)
Die Blätter fallen, fallen wie von weit, als welkten in den Himmeln ferne Gärten; sie fallen mit verneinender Gebärde. Und in den Nächten fällt die schwere Erde aus allen Sternen in die Einsamkeit. Wir alle fallen. Diese Hand da fällt. Und sieh die andre an: es ist in allen. Und doch ist einer, welcher dieses Fallen unendlich sanft in seinen Händen hält.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Herbst", appears in Das Buch der Bilder, first published 1920 [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 Elizabeth R. Austin (b. 1938), "Herbst" [ medium voice and piano ], from Drei Rilke-Lieder, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Herbst", 2008 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Zwei Rilke-lieder, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Henk Badings (1907 - 1987), "Herbst", from Fünf Rilke-Lieder, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Conrad Beck (1901 - 1989), "Herbst" [ voice and piano or organ ], from Drei Herbstgesänge, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Albert Ernst Anton Becker (1834 - 1899), "Im Herbst", op. 8 (Fünf Lieder) no. 4, published 1884 [ medium voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ferenc Farkas (1905 - 2000), "Herbst", 1984, copyright © 1987 [ four-part mixed chorus ], from Hommage à Rilke, no. 2, Editio Musica Budapest, Z. 13279 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wim Franken (b. 1922), "Herbst", 1959, from Zes Rilke-liederen, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Fürstenthal (1920 - 2016), "Herbst" [ voice and piano ], from 16 Lieder und Balladen vom Leben und Vergehen, no. 14, confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hans Gál (1890 - 1987), "Erhebung", op. 25 no. 5 (1912-25), published 1926, first performed 1927 [ SSAA chorus a cappella ], from Herbstlieder, no. 5, N. Simrock, Berlin [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Krause (1889 - ?), "Herbst", op. 47 no. 5, published 1972?, from Sechs Gedichte von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ignace Lilien (1897 - 1964), "Herbst", 1923 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ignace Lilien (1897 - 1964), "Herbst ", 1922, copyright © 1960 [ low voice or medium voice and piano ], from Sechs Gedichte von R.M. Rilke, no. 1, Amsterdam : Donemus [sung text not yet checked]
- by Léon Orthel (1905 - 1985), "Herbst", op. 87 no. 3 (1980), from Herfst, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Siegmund Schmidt (b. 1939), "Herbst", 2010 [ alto and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Peter Visser (b. 1939), "Herbst", 1981, from Zes Rilke-liederen, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Harry Duncan , "Autumn", copyright © ; composed by Lee Hoiby.
- Also set in Portuguese (Português), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , "Outono" ; composed by Natho Henn.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (John H. Campbell) , no title, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , "Autumn", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Walter A. Aue) , "Fall", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , "Fall", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "Fall", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Automne", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Autunno", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: John H. Campbell
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 9
Word count: 62
Automne
Language: French (Français) after the German (Deutsch)
Les feuilles tombent, tombent comme si au loin se fanaient dans le ciel de lointains jardins ; elles tombent avec des gestes qui se refusent. Et dans les nuits la lourde terre tombe de toutes les étoiles, dans la solitude. Nous tombons tous. Cette main tombe. Et vois, cette chute est dans toutes les autres mains Et pourtant il en est un qui retient dans sa main, cette chute délicatement, éternellement.
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:
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Herbst", appears in Das Buch der Bilder, first published 1920
This text was added to the website: 2013-01-18
Line count: 9
Word count: 71