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Ich bin im Mai gegangen Und hab' es nicht gewußt, Also von Schmerz befangen Ist die erkrankte Brust. Ein Vogel hat gesungen Im jungbelaubten Wald, Da ist ins Herz gedrungen Mir seine Stimme bald. Vom Aug' ist mir gefallen Ein schwerer [Tränentau]1, Drauf sah den Mai ich wallen Durch Erd' und Himmel blau. Als Vogel ausgesungen Flog er ins weite Land, Und wie sein Lied verklungen, Um mich der Mai verschwand.
Confirmed with Justinus Kerner Werke, Zweiter Teil, Gedichte, ed. Raimund Pissin, Berlin, Leipzig, Wien, Stuttgart: Deutsches Verlagshaus Bong & Co., 1914, page 72
1 Winkelmeier: "Tränenflor"Authorship:
- by Justinus (Andreas Christian) Kerner (1786 - 1862), "Kurzes Erwachen", appears in Gedichte, in Die lyrischen Gedichte [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 Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Kurzes Erwachen", 1827-28 [ voice and piano ], from Elf Jugendlieder, no. 2, note: published as "op. posth. 21", no. 4, in 1933, Wien (Vienna), Universal Edition [sung text checked 1 time]
- by H. Winkelmeier , "Kurzes Erwachen", published 1846 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Breu despertar", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Kort ontwaken", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Michael Berridge) , "Brief awakening", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Bref réveil", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 71
I went out in May And did not know it, So racked with pain Was my stricken breast. A bird sang In the young-leafed wood, His voice soon Penetrated my heart. From my eye fell A heavy dew of tears, Then I saw May flowing Through earth and blue sky. When the bird had sung its song It flew far away, And as its song ebbed away, So May vanished all around me.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2013 by Michael Berridge, (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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Justinus (Andreas Christian) Kerner (1786 - 1862), "Kurzes Erwachen", appears in Gedichte, in Die lyrischen Gedichte
This text was added to the website: 2013-01-30
Line count: 16
Word count: 73