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Wenn es nur einmal so ganz stille wäre. Wenn das Zufällige und Ungefähre verstummte und das nachbarliche Lachen, wenn das Geräusch, das meine Sinne machen, mich nicht so sehr verhinderte am Wachen -: Dann könnte ich in einem tausendfachen Gedanken bis an deinen Rand dich denken und dich besitzen (nur ein Lächeln lang), um dich an alles Leben zu verschenken wie einen Dank.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Rainer Maria Rilke, Werke, kommentierte Ausgabe in vier Bänden, Band 1 Gedichte 1895 bis 1910, herausgegeben von Manfred Engel und Ulrich Fülleborn, Frankfurt am Main und Leipzig: Insel Verlag, 1996, pages 159-160.
Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Wenn es nur einmal so ganz stille wäre", written 1899, appears in Das Stundenbuch, in 1. Das Buch vom mönchischen Leben , no. 7, first published 1905 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Magnar Åm (b. 1952), "Nur ein Lächeln lang", 2016 [ mixed chorus and violoncello ], NB noter [sung text not yet checked]
- by Vincent Sebastian Andreas (b. 1972), "Wenn es nur einmal so ganz stille wäre", published 1997 [ mixed chorus a cappella ], from Drei geistliche Gesänge nach Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Matthias Drievko , "Wenn es nur einmal so ganz stille wäre" [ medium voice and piano ], from Zwei Lieder nach Texten von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hanns Eisler (1898 - 1962), "Wenn es nur einmal so ganz still wäre", 1918 [ alto, violin, viola, violoncello ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hanns Eisler (1898 - 1962), "Wenn es so einmal so ganz stille wäre", 1918 [ voice and string trio ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Chris Fictoor (b. 1948), "Die Stille", 1999 [ alto, soprano, bass, chorus and orchestra ], from oratorio Rilke Lieder, no. 3, ascolta [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carsten Gerlitz (b. 1966), "Wenn es nur einmal so ganz stille wäre", published 2001 [ mixed chorus ], from Drei Lieder auf Gedichte von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 3, Peermusic [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Haas (1886 - 1960), "Wenn es nur einmal so ganz stille wäre", c1919-c1944 [ voice and piano ], from 25 Lieder nach Gedichten von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 23 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Stefan Lano (b. 1952), "Wenn es nur einmal so ganz stille wäre" [ voice and orchestra ], from Sieben Lieder, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ina Lohr (1903 - 1983), "Wenn es nur einmal so ganz stille wäre", 1927 [ voice and piano or organ ], from Vom mönchischem Leben, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Joachim Reidenbach (b. 1947), "Wenn es nur einmal so ganz stille wäre" [ soprano, mixed chorus and orchestra ], from Zwei Lieder nach Texten von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 2, Edition Ferrimontana [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jeroen Spitteler , "Wenn es nur einmal so ganz stille wäre", first performed 2021 [ mixed chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Leif Thybo (1922 - 2001), "Wenn es nur einmal", 1983 [ voice and organ ], from Aus dem Stundenbuch, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carl Ueter (1900 - 1985), no title, op. 36 no. 4 (1934) [ baritone, violoncello and piano ], from cantata Der kleine Tod, no. 4, Tobias Broeker 2015 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Regina Wittemeier (b. 1956), "Wenn es nur einmal so ganz stille wäre", op. 34 (Ich lebe mein Leben in wachsenden Ringen) no. 6, published 2003 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Anita Barrows , no title, copyright © and by Joanna Macy , no title, copyright © ; composed by Craig Brandwein.
- Also set in English, a translation by Babbette Deutsch (1895 - 1982) , "If only there were stillness, full, complete", appears in Poems from the Book of Hours, copyright © ; composed by David Matthews.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Si juste une fois encore tout était si calme", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2008-05-19
Line count: 10
Word count: 62
Si juste une fois encore, tout était si calme. Si l'aléatoire et l'à peu près se taisaient, et le rire du voisinage, si le bruit que font mes sens ne m'empêchait pas tant de veiller: Alors pourrais-je dans une pensée mille fois répétée jusque près de toi, te penser et te posséder (juste le temps d'un sourire), pour, à toute vie te faire don comme d'un remerciement.
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), "Wenn es nur einmal so ganz stille wäre", written 1899, appears in Das Stundenbuch, in 1. Das Buch vom mönchischen Leben , no. 7, first published 1905
This text was added to the website: 2013-01-22
Line count: 10
Word count: 68