Mit gelben Birnen hänget

Mit gelben Birnen hänget
und voll mit wilden Rosen
das Land in den See,
ihr holden Schwäne,
und trunken von Küssen
[ tunkt ihr das Haupt
ins heilignüchterne Wasser.]1

Weh mir, wo nehm' ich, wenn
es Winter ist, die Blumen, und wo
den Sonnenschein,
und Schatten der Erde?
Die Mauern [stehn]2
sprachlos und kalt, im Winde
klirren die Fahnen.

by Friedrich Hölderlin (1770-1843) , "Hälfte des Lebens", from Gedichte 1800-1804, in Nachtgesänge

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) , "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 61 no. 5, published 1963, from Sechs Hölderlin-Fragmente, no. 5.
by Friedrich Cerha (1926-) , no title, 1995, from Acht Sätze nach Hölderlin-Fragmenten, no. 7.
by Harald Genzmer (1909-2007) , "Hälfte des Lebens", 1940-90?
by Paavo Heininen (1938-) , "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 30 no. 3 (1973), first performed 1975 [mezzo-soprano and piano or string orchestra], from Schatten der Erde, no. 3.
by Karl Horwitz, né Curt Horwitz (1884-1925) , "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 4 (Sechs Gedichte) no. 3, published 1919. [voice and piano]
by René Leibowitz (1913-1972) , "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 38 no. 3 [baritone and 8 instruments], from Serenade for baritone and 8 instruments, no. 3.
by György Ligeti (1923-2006) , "Hälfte des Lebens" [choral, a cappella], from Drei Phantasien nach Friedrich Hölderlin, no. 1.
by Wilhelm Petersen (1890-1957) , "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 45 (Sechs Gesänge) no. 3.
by Hermann Reutter (1900-1985) , "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 56 (Drei Gesänge nach Texten von Friedrich Hölderlin) no. 2, published 1944.
by Wolfgang Michael Rihm (1952-) , "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 1 no. 3 (1969).
by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov (1948-) , "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 31 no. 1, published 1980, first performed 1981 [voice and organ], from Schicksalslieder (Pesny sud'by), no. 1, also set in Russian
by Stefan Wolpe (1902-1972) , "Hälfte des Lebens", op. 1 (Fünf Lieder nach Friedrich Hölderlin) no. 1 (1924).

by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov (1948-) , "Seredina zhizni", op. 31 no. 1, published 1980, first performed 1981 [voice and organ], from Schicksalslieder (Pesny sud'by), no. 1, also set in German

ENG English (Emily Ezust)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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Seredina zhizni

Zhelteja grushej speloj,
Krasneja rozoj dikoj,
Kraj svetlykh ozjor,
Kak lebed' milyj,
Ustav ot lobzanij,
Sheju sklonjaet
V svjashchenno-trezvye vody.

No kak smogu ja
Otyskat' cvety zimoju,
Najdu li solnca svet
I teni zemnye?
Otveta net
Ot mjortvykh sten.
Pod vetrom fljuger skrezheshchet.

Show Cyrillic (Покажите текст в кириллице)
Note on Transliteration

Singable translation by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov (1948-)

a text in German by Friedrich Hölderlin (1770-1843) , "Hälfte des Lebens", from Gedichte 1800-1804, in Nachtgesänge ENG

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov (1948-) , "Seredina zhizni", op. 31 no. 1, published 1980, first performed 1981 [voice and organ], from Schicksalslieder (Pesny sud'by), no. 1, also set in German

Date added to the website: 2008-03-17.