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Wie schnell verschwindet So Licht als Glanz, Der Morgen findet Verwelkt den Kranz, Der gestern glühte In aller Pracht, Denn er verblühte In dunkler Nacht. Es schwimmt die Welle Des Lebens hin, Und färbt sich helle, Hat's nicht Gewinn; Die Sonne neiget, Die Röte flieht, Der Schatten steiget Und Dunkel zieht. So schwimmt die Liebe Zu Wüsten ab, Ach, daß sie bliebe Bis an das Grab! Doch wir erwachen Zu tiefer Qual: Es bricht der Nachen, Es löscht der Strahl, Vom schönen Lande Weit weggebracht Zum öden Strande, Wo um uns Nacht.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Johann Ludwig Tieck (1773 - 1853), no title, appears in Liebesgeschichte der schönen Magelone und des Grafen Peter von Provence, no. 12, chapter heading: "Die Klagen der schönen Magelone" [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 Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Wie schnell verschwindet", op. 33 no. 11 (1861-65), published 1865 [ voice and piano ], from Die schöne Magelone. Romanzen aus L. Tiecks Magelone, no. 11, Winterthur, Rieter-Biedermann [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Wilhelm Killmayer (1927 - 2017), "Trauer", 1965, first performed 1966 [ TBarB chorus a cappella ], from Romantische Chorlieder nach Texten von Ludwig Tieck, no. 3, Mainz, Schott [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Hoe snel verdwijnen nu licht en glans", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , no title, copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Come scompaiono rapidi", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- TUR Turkish (Türkçe) (Gül Sabar) , copyright © 2016, (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: 28
Word count: 92
How quickly disappear Light and radiance; The morning finds A withered garland, That only yesterday glowed In all its splendor. For it has faded In the dark night. Like a wave does Life drift away, As bright as it has painted itself: It has gained nothing; The sun sets, The redness flees, The shadows climb, And darkness draws in. So love floats Into the wastelands, Ah, would that it might remain Until the grave! Yet we awake To deep pain: The skiff breaks, The light is extinguished. From the beautiful land We are brought far away, To a desolate shore Where night surrounds us.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of titles
"Wie schnell verschwindet" = "How quickly disappear"
"Trauer" = "Grief"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet Archive -- https://www.lieder.net/For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Ludwig Tieck (1773 - 1853), no title, appears in Liebesgeschichte der schönen Magelone und des Grafen Peter von Provence, no. 12, chapter heading: "Die Klagen der schönen Magelone"
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 104