Nachlese Vb (Liederzyklus)

Note

I had already discovered texts from Gongora for some time in the bilingual edition of the Dogana, beautifully translated by Philippe Jaccotet. I found those poems were really rich, impossible to reduce to a single meaning. This is what drove me to use one of this author's sonnets at the time, in its original language, and to compose Eco for voice and piano.
Recently, I discovered a German translation of that same sonnet and was struck by its entirely different interpretation. It gave me the idea to get back to the original text (and Eco) and add three other movements to it. Two of them using the French and German translations, and another one exclusively instrumental. Four different points of view of the same "object", kind of like a spectator turning around a sculpture and discovering new aspects, new readings.

Michael Jarrell

Texte:

Disorientated, sick, pilgrim, into the dark night, edging forward inexpertly through the desert mess, for a long time he wandered and called in vain.
He heard repeatedly, otherwise close, the barking of a dog, its eyes still open and under a poor and pastoral cover found pity instead of a way.
Out came the sun and its veiled ermine, sleeping beauty as a sweet frenzy, assaults the weak traveler.
He will pay for the shelter with his life: better off wandering in the mountain than to die the way I am dying.

Désorienté, malade, pèlerin, dans la nuit sombre, d'un pas inexpert arpentant le désordre du désert, il erra et longtemps héla en vain.
Il ouït répété, sinon voisin, l'aboi d'un chien à l'oeil toujours ouvert et sous un piètre et pastoral couvert trouva pitié à défaut de chemin.
Vint le soleil et d'hermine voilée, beauté dormeuse en tendre frénésie assaillit l'encor faible voyageur.
Il paiera le gîte de sa vie: mieux eût valu en la montagne errer que de mourir de la sorte que je meurs.

Weglos und krank in finstrer Nacht mit unsicherem Fuss die Wirre des Ödlands betretend, rief er ins Leer weglos.
Wiederholtes Bellen wenngleich fern, vernahm er deutlich und in Hirtenherberge unter schlechtem Dach fand er Erbarmen, wenngleich er den Weg nicht fand.
Die Sonne stieg und eine Hermelin verhüllte schlaftrunkene Schönheit in zärtliche Wut überfiel den Wanderer in seinem Elend.
Gastfreundschaft wird er mit dem Leben bezahlen. Besser wäre er durch das Gebirge irrt so zu sterben wie ich sterbe.

Descaminado, enfermo, peregrino en tenebrosa noche, con pie incierto la confusión pisando del desierto, voces en vano dio, pasos sin tino.
Repetido latir, si no vecino, distincto oyó de can siempre despierto, y en pastoral albergue mal cubierto piedad halló, si no halló camino.
Salió el sol, y entre armiños escondida, soñolienta beldad con dulce saña salteó al no bien sano pasajero.
Pagará el hospedaje con la vida - más le valiera errar en la montaña, que morir de la suerte que yo muero.

Luis de Góngora