Songs

Part of a series or song cycle:

Rainer Maria Rilke

Das war der Tag der weißen Chrysanthemen, –

mir bangte fast vor seiner Pracht …

Und dann, dann kamst du mir die Seele nehmen

tief in der Nacht.

Mir war so bang, und du kamst lieb und leise, –

ich hatte grad im Traum an dich gedacht.

Du kamst, und leis wie eine Märchenweise

erklang die Nacht …

English Translation © Richard Stokes

That was the day of the white chrysanthemums –

Its brilliance almost frightened me ...

And then, then you came to take my soul

at the dead of night.

I was so frightened, and you came sweetly and gently,

I had been thinking of you in my dreams.

You came, and soft as a fairy tune

the night rang out …

Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)

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