Kreuz des Suedens (Southern Cross) [2003] is a musical response to a text text of the same name by German Poet Reiner Kunze. It was written to be performed as part of celebrations of his 70th birthday held in Jena, Thuringia in August 2003. In my opinion this beautiful poem, with its understated observations, captures the condition between despair and awe with which we sometimes contemplate the vastness and complexity of the internal and external worlds.
First Performed by Nadja and Hendrik Zwiener August 26 2003 Scintilla Divina Festival Jena
lyrics
Kreuz des Suedens (Southern Cross)
Nächte, die dich steinigen (nights that stone you)
Die sterne stuerzen herab
auf ihrem licht (the stars tumble down on their light)
Du stehst in ihrem hagel (you stand in their hail)
Keiner trifft dich (none of them gets you)
Doch es schmerzt
als traefen alle (but it hurts as if they all did)
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