by
Georg Trakl (1887 - 1914)
Menschheit
Language: German (Deutsch)
Our translations: ENG FRE ITA
Menschheit vor Feuerschlünden aufgestellt,
Ein Trommelwirbel, dunkler Krieger Stirnen,
Schritte durch Blutnebel; schwarzes Eisen schellt,
Verzweiflung, Nacht in traurigen Gehirnen:
Hier Evas Schatten, Jagd und rotes Geld.
Gewölk, das Licht durchbricht, das Abendmahl.
Es wohnt in Brot und Wein ein sanftes Schweigen
Und jene sind versammelt zwölf an Zahl.
Nachts schrein im Schlaf sie unter Ölbaumzweigen;
Sankt Thomas taucht die Hand ins Wundenmal.
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , title 1: "Umanità", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , title 1: "Humanité", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Bertram Kottmann) , title 1: "Mankind", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Harry Joelson
This text was added to the website: 2007-07-29
Line count: 10
Word count: 63
Mankind
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Mankind deployed in front of fiery gorges,
a drum roll, dark warriors' foreheads,
footsteps through blood and fog; black iron rattles,
desperateness, night in mournful brains:
Here Eve's shadow, chase and blood-red money.
Clouds, through which light pierces, the Last Supper.
A noble stillness dwells in bread and wine
and those have gathered, twelve in number.
At night they scream in sleep beneath the olive branches.
Saint Thomas thrusts his hand into the wounded side.
Text Authorship:
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2017-01-18
Line count: 10
Word count: 75