Liegt eine Stadt im Tale, ein blasser Tag vergeht; es wird nicht [lange dauern mehr]1, bis weder Mond noch Sterne [nur Nacht]2 am Himmel steht. Von allen Bergen drücken Nebel auf die Stadt; es dringt kein Dach, [nicht]3 Hof noch Haus, kein Laut aus ihrem Rauch heraus, kaum Türme noch und Brücken. [Doch]4 als [den]5 Wandrer graute, da ging ein Lichtlein auf im Grund; und [durch den]6 [Rauch und Nebel]7 begann [ein leiser Lobgesang]8 aus Kindermund.
Confirmed with Richard Dehmel Hundert ausgewählte Gedichte, Berlin: S. Fischer Verlag, 1909, page 110.
1 Mahler: "lang mehr dauern"2 Thuille: "nur noch Nacht"
3 Thuille: "kein"
4 Pfitzner: "und"
5 Mahler: "der"; Thuille "dem"
6 Mahler, Thuille: "aus dem"
7 Thuille: "Rauch, dem Nebel"
8 Mahler: "ein Lobgesang"
Authorship:
- by Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel (1863 - 1920), "Die stille Stadt" [author's text checked 2 times 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 Wilhelm Reinhard Berger (1861 - 1911), "Die stille Stadt", op. 90 (Sechs Lieder) no. 2, published <<1905 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, C. F. Kahnt [sung text not yet checked]
- by Willy Burkhard (1900 - 1955), "Die stille Stadt", op. 26 (Fünf Gesänge nach Gedichten von Richard Dehmel) no. 4 (1930) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Hermann Franz Graener (1872 - 1944), "Die stille Stadt", published 1930 [ men's chorus ], from Drei Nocturnes, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hugo Wilhelm Ludwig Kaun (1863 - 1932), "Die stille Stadt", op. 72 (Männerchöre) no. 10 [ men's chorus a cappella ], Leipzig, Kahnt Nachfolger [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alma Mahler (1879 - 1964), "Die stille Stadt", 1900-1?, from Fünf Lieder, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Johanna Müller-Hermann (1878 - 1941), "Die stille Stadt", op. 4 (Vier Lieder) no. 2, published 1904 [ voice and piano ], Wien: Universal Edition [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hans Erich Pfitzner (1869 - 1949), "Die stille Stadt", op. 29 no. 4 (1921) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Emma Possanner , "Die stille Stadt" [ voice and piano ], from 21 Lieder, no. 20 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jean Sibelius (1865 - 1957), "Die stille Stadt", op. 50 (Sechs Gesänge (Six Songs)) no. 5 (1906) [ voice and piano ], also set in Finnish (Suomi) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hermann Suter (1870 - 1926), "Die stille Stadt", op. 12 (3 Lieder für Tenor mit Klavier) no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ludwig Wilhelm Andreas Maria Thuille (1861 - 1907), "Die stille Stadt", op. 12 (Drei Gesänge) no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Felix Wolfes (1892 - 1971), "Die stille Stadt", 1951 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henri Zagwijn (1878 - 1954), "Die stille Stadt", 1915, published 1950 [ mezzo-soprano, flute, string trio, harp ] [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Richard Stöhr.
- Also set in Finnish (Suomi), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Jean Sibelius.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The silent town", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Erkki Pullinen) , "Hiljainen kaupunki", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "La ville calme", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Jakob Kellner , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 15
Word count: 76
A town lies in the valley a pale day fades and dies and it will not be long before neither moon nor starlight night only fills the skies. From all the mountain ridges creeps mist and swathes the town No farm no house no wet red roof can pierce the thickly worry woof scarce even spires and bridges But as the wanderer shudders deep down a streak of light rejoices his heart and through the smoke and haze children’s voices begin a gentle hymn of praise
Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel (1863 - 1920), "Die stille Stadt"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Richard Stöhr (1874 - 1967), "The Silent Town", op. 96 (10 Songs) no. 7 (1943) [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2021-05-26
Line count: 15
Word count: 86