by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
Translation by Jessie Lemont (1872 - 1947)
Lösch mir die Augen aus: ich kann dich...
Language: German (Deutsch)
Lösch mir die Augen aus: ich kann dich sehn, wirf mir die Ohren zu: ich kann dich hören, und ohne Füße kann ich zu dir gehn, und ohne Mund noch kann ich dich beschwören. Brich mir die Arme ab, ich fasse dich mit meinem Herzen wie mit einer Hand, halt mir das Herz zu, und mein Hirn wird schlagen, und wirfst du in mein Hirn den Brand, so werd ich dich auf meinem Blute tragen.
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Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Lösch mir die Augen aus", appears in Das Stundenbuch, in 2. Das Buch von der Pilgerschaft, no. 7 [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 Caroline Ansink (b. 1959), "Lösch mir die Augen aus: ich kann dich sehn", 1994, copyright © 1994 [ mixed chorus ], from Fainetai moi kènos, no. 4b, Amsterdam: Donemus [sung text not yet checked]
- by Anthony (Tony) Bannach (b. 1991), "Lösch mir die Augen aus", op. 6, copyright © 2014 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by David Biedenbender (b. 1984), "Lösch mir die Augen aus", 2012 [ chorus ], from Three Rilke songes, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Fürstenthal (1920 - 2016), "Lösch mir die Augen aus" [ voice and piano ], from Lieder an Gott nach Gedichten von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Viktor Kalabis (1923 - 2006), "Lösch mir die Augen aus", op. 38 no. 2 (1974), published 2001, first performed 1976 [ high voice and strings ], from Pět romantických písní o lásce na slova R. M. Rilk, no. 2, manuscript / Editio Bärenreiter [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hans Kox (b. 1930), "Lösch mir die Augen aus: Ich kann dich sehn", 2001, published 2001, copyright © 2001 [ soprano and piano ], Amsterdam : Donemus [sung text not yet checked]
- by Augustinus Franz Kropfreiter (1936 - 2003), "Lösch mir die Augen aus", 1963, copyright © 1966 [ soprano, flute, viola and violoncello ], from In memoriam, no. 2, Wien [etc.] : Doblinger [sung text not yet checked]
- by Stefan Lano (b. 1952), "Lösch mir die Augen aus" [ voice and orchestra ], from Sieben Lieder, no. 1, Berlin : Ries & Erler [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gabriel Marcel (1889 - 1973), "Lösch mir die Augen aus", 1945-1946 [ voice and piano ], from Mélodies. Cahiers 3, no. 11 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gabriel Marcel (1889 - 1973), "Lösch mir die Augen aus", 1945-1946 [ voice and piano ], from Mélodies. Cahiers 3, no. 12 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Stefanie Schlesinger (b. 1977), "Lösch mir die Augen aus" [ voice and vibraphone ], from Rilke-Lieder, no. 3, Jazzgesänge [sung text not yet checked]
- by John W. M. Slangen (b. 1951), "Lösch mir die Augen aus", 1979/80, first performed 1980 [ voice and piano ], from IV Rilke Lieder, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Josep Soler i Sardà (1935 - 2022), "Lösch mir die", 1961 [ voice and piano ], from Das Stunden-Buch, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Oliver Steller (b. 1967), "Lösch mir die Augen aus", 2006 [ narrator, saxophone and double bass ], from Zwischen den Sternen. Gedichte. Briefe. Leben. , no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ernst Tittel (1910 - 1969), "Lösch mir die Augen aus", op. 23 no. 2 (1945), published 1969 [ soprano and organ ], from Mystisches Triptychon für Sopran und Orgel, no. 2, Wien, Musikverlag Doblinger [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carl Ueter (1900 - 1985), "Lösch mir die Augen aus: ich kann dich sehn", op. 36, Heft 2 no. 2 (1934) [ alto, violin and piano ], from cantata Liebe zu Gott, no. 2, Tobias Broeker 2015 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Jessie Lemont (1872 - 1947) ; composed by Leonard Bernstein, Ernst Toch.
- Also set in English, a translation by Anita Barrows , copyright © and by Joanna Macy , copyright © ; composed by Brad Mehldau, Imant Raminsh.
- Also set in English, a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Quentin Grant.
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- Also set in English, a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Anne Charlotte Clarke.
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- Also set in French (Français), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Sylvaine Leblond Martin, Jure Petrović.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Babbette Deutsch (1895 - 1982) , "Put out my eyes, and I can see you still", copyright © ; composed by David Matthews.
- Also set in Polish (Polski), a translation by Mieczyław Jastrun (1903 - 1983) , copyright © ; composed by Zbigniew Rudziński.
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-05-09
Line count: 9
Word count: 75
Extinguish my eyes
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Extinguish my eyes I still can see you: Close my ears I can hear your footsteps fall: And without feet I still can follow you: Voiceless I can still return your call. Break off my arms, and I can embrace you: Enfold you with my heart as with a hand: Hold my heart, my brain will take fire of you As flax takes fire from a brand! And flame will sweep in a flood: Through all the singing currents of my blood: Mmmmmmm....
Text Authorship:
- by Jessie Lemont (1872 - 1947) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Lösch mir die Augen aus", appears in Das Stundenbuch, in 2. Das Buch von der Pilgerschaft, no. 7
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Leonard Bernstein (1918 - 1990), "Extinguish my eyes", 1949, from Two Love Songs, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ernst Toch (1887 - 1964), "Extinguish my eyes", op. 67 no. 3 (1945), published 1953, rev. 1953 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from The Inner Circle - six choruses a cappella, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-08
Line count: 10
Word count: 83