by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)
Translation by Marie Luise Gothein (1863 - 1931)
Deity of the ruined temple!
Language: English  after the Bangla (Bengali)
Available translation(s): GER
Deity of the ruined temple! The broken strings of Vina sing no more your praise. The bells in the evening proclaim not your time of worship. The air is still and silent about you. In your desolate dwelling comes the vagrant spring breeze. It brings the tidings of flowers -- the flowers that for your worship are offered no more. Your worshipper of old wanders ever longing for favour still refused. In the eventide, when fires and shadows mingle with the gloom of dust, he wearily comes back to the ruined temple with hunger in his heart. Many a festival day comes to you in silence, deity of the ruined temple. Many a night of worship goes away with lamp unlit. Many new images are built by masters of cunning art and carried to the holy stream of oblivion when their time is come. Only the deity of the ruined temple remains unworshipped in deathless neglect.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 88, 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), no title, appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 88 [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 Albert Biales (1929 - 2012), "Deity of the ruined temple", 1982, first performed 1982 [ soprano and orchestra or piano ], from When the Creation Was New, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Marie Luise Gothein (1863 - 1931) , first published 1914 ; composed by Johann Móry, Stefan Wolpe.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-11-13
Line count: 26
Word count: 155
Gottheit des zertrümmerten Tempels
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English
Gottheit des zertrümmerten Tempels! Die zerrissenen Saiten der Vina singen nicht mehr deinen Preis. Die Glocken des Abends verkünden nicht mehr deines Dienstes Stunde. Die Luft ist still und schweigend rings um dich. In deine zerstörte Wohnung kommen die duftigen Frühlingslüfte. Sie bringen die Botschaft der Blumen - der Blumen, die man nicht mehr weihet zu deinem Dienst. Dein Priester von einst sehnt sich wandernd noch immer nach dem verweigerten Opfer. Am Abend, wenn Feuer und Schatten sich mischen dem Dunkel des Staubes, dann kommt er müde zurück zum zerstörten Tempel mit Hunger im Herzen. Manch ein Festtag kommt zu dir im Schweigen, du Gott des zerstörten Tempels. Manche Nacht der Anbetung geht, und die Lampen sind nicht entzündet. Viele neue Bilder wurden von Meisterhand schön gebildet und hin zum heiligen Strom des Vergessens getragen, wenn ihre Zeit kam. Nur die Gottheit des zerstörten Tempels bleibt immer unverehrt, unsterblich verachtet.
Authorship:
- by Marie Luise Gothein (1863 - 1931), first published 1914 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 88, first published 1912
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 88 [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 Ján Móry (1892 - 1978), "Gottheit des zertrümmerten Tempels", op. 12 no. 11 [ voice and piano ], from Tagore-Album, no. 11 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Stefan Wolpe (1902 - 1972), "Gottheit des zertrümmerten Tempels", 1926 [ voice and piano ], from Neun Vertonungen aus Gitanjali, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2009-11-16
Line count: 26
Word count: 150