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I asked nothing from thee; I uttered not my name to thine ear. When thou took'st thy leave I stood silent. I was alone by the well where the shadow of the tree fell aslant, and the women had gone home with their brown earthen pitchers full to the brim. They called me and shouted, 'Come with us, the morning is wearing on to noon.' But I languidly lingered awhile lost in the midst of vague musings. I heard not thy steps as thou camest. Thine eyes were sad when they fell on me; thy voice was tired as thou spokest low - 'Ah, I am a thirsty traveller.' I started up from my day-dreams and poured water from my jar on thy joined palms. The leaves rustled overhead; the cuckoo sang from the unseen dark, and perfume of babla flowers came from the bend of the road. I stood speecess with shame when my name thou didst ask. Indeed, what had I done for thee to keep me in remembrance? But the memory that I could give water to thee to allay thy thirst will cling to my heart and enfold it in sweetness. The morning hour is late, the bird sings in weary notes, neem leaves rustle overhead and I sit and think and think.
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Text Authorship:
- by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 54, first published 1912 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 54 [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Margaret Lucy Wilkins (b. 1939), "The world-filling light", op. 35 no. 6 (1981) [ SATB quartet and SATB chorus a cappella ], from Six Song Offerings, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Dutch (Nederlands), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Frans Louis Wiemans.
- 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.]
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by André Gide (1869 - 1951) , no title, appears in Gitanjali (L'Offrande lyrique), no. 54, first published 1914 ; composed by Elsa Barraine.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Das welterfüllende Licht", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-11-03
Line count: 33
Word count: 216
Nichts habe ich von dir erbeten, und meinen Namen bracht’ ich dir nicht zu Gehör. Als du nahmst Abschied von mir, stand ich stumm. Ich war allein am Brunnen, auf den ein Baum quer seinen Schatten wirft. Die Frauen waren schon nach Haus gegangen mit ihren braunen, irdnen Krügen bis zum Rand gefüllt. Laut riefen sie mir zu: „Komm mit uns! Der Morgen schreitet auf den Mittag zu.“ Doch ich verweilte träg in unbestimmter Grübelei verloren. Ich hörte deinen Schritt nicht, als du nahtest. Dein Blick war traurig, als er auf mich fiel, und deine Stimme müde, als du leise sprachst: „Ein durst’ger Wand’rer bin ich, ach.“ Ich fuhr aus meinem Tagtraum hoch, und über deine Hände goss ich Wasser aus dem Krug. Ein Säuseln über uns im Laub; der Kuckuck sang im dunklen Hain verborgen, der Duft der Bablablüten kam von dorther, wo der Weg sich krümmt. Beschämt und sprachlos stand ich, als nach meinem Namen du mich fragtest. Was hatt’ ich denn für dich getan, dass meiner du gedenkst? Doch die Erinn’rung, dass ich dir konnt’ Wasser geben, zu stillen deinen Durst, wird sich ins Herz mir schmiegen und liebreich es umfangen. Es ist schon spät am Morgen, ermattet singt der Vogel, das Laub des Niembaums säuselt über mir, ich sitz’ und sinne, sinne.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2014 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in English by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 54, first published 1912
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 54 [text unavailable]
This text was added to the website: 2014-06-23
Line count: 33
Word count: 216