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Ein Fräulein klagt' im finstern Thurm, Am Seegestad' erbaut. Es rauscht' und heulte Wog' und Sturm In ihres Jammers Laut. Rosalia von Montanvert Hieß manchem Troubadour, Und einem ganzen Ritterheer Die Krone der Natur. Doch ehe noch ihr Herz die Macht Der süßen Minn' empfand, Erlag der Vater in der Schlacht Am Sarazenenstrand. Der Ohm, ein Ritter Manfry, ward Zum Schirmvogt ihr bestellt; Dem lacht' ins Herz, wie Felsen hart, Des Fräuleins Gut und Geld. Bald überall im Lande ging Die Trauerkund' umher: »Des Todes kalte Nacht [umfieng]1 Die Rose Montanvert.« Ein schwarzes Todtenfähnlein wallt Hoch auf des Fräuleins Burg; Die dumpfe Leichenglocke schallt Drei Tag' und Nächt' hindurch. Auf ewig hin, auf ewig todt, O Rose Montanvert! [Nun]2 milderst du der Wittwe Noth, Der Waise Schmerz nicht mehr. So klagt' einmüthig Alt und Jung, Den Blick von Thränen schwer, Vom Frühroth bis zur Dämmerung, Die Rose Montanvert. Der Ohm in einem Thurm sie barg Erfüllt mit Moderduft. Drauf senkte man den leeren Sarg Wohl in der Väter Gruft. Das Fräulein horchte, still und bang, Der Priester Litaney'n; Trüb' in des Kerkers Gitter drang Der Fackeln rother Schein. Sie ahnte schaudernd ihr Geschick, Ihr ward so [dumpf und schwer]3; [Im Todesgraun]4 erstarb ihr Blick, Sie sank und war nicht mehr. Des Thurms Ruinen an der See Sind heute noch zu schaun. Den Wandrer faßt in ihrer Näh' Ein wundersames Graun. Auch mancher Hirt verkündet euch, Daß er, bey Nacht, allda Oft, einer Silberwolke gleich, Das Fräulein schweben sah.
Confirmed with Gedichte von Matthisson. Fünfte vermehrte Auflage. Zürich, bei Orell, Füssli und Compagnie. 1802, pages 283-286; with Gedichte von Friedrich von Matthisson. Erster Theil. Tübingen, bei Cotta, 1811, pages 101-104; and with Gedichte von Matthisson. Neueste verbesserte Auflage. Wien und Prag bey Franz Haas 1810, pages 231-233.
Note: Matthisson changed the name Montanvert into Mortimer in the Tübingen 1811 and the Zürich 1831 editions, and used the title Das Fräulein im Thurme, subtitle Romanze, in the Tübingen edition.
1 Matthisson (Wien 1810 edition), and Schubert: "empfing"2 Schubert (2nd version): "Jetzt"
3 Schubert (1st version): "dumpf, so schwer"; Schubert (2nd version): "dumpf, ihr ward so schwer"
4 Matthisson (Wien 1810 edition), and Schubert: "Im Todesgram"; Matthisson (Tübingen 1811 edition), and Schubert (Alte Gesamtausgabe): "In Todesnacht"
Authorship:
- by Friedrich von Matthisson (1761 - 1831), written 1791, appears in In der Fremde (Schweiz und Frankreich) (1787-1794), first published 1802 [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 Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Romanze", D 114 (1814) [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Romança", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Romance", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Romance", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Romance", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Melanie Trumbull , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 52
Word count: 248
A maiden was lamenting in a dark tower, built on the edge of a lake. The waves and storm roared and howled along with the sound of her mourning. Rosalia of Montanvert was named by many troubadors and an entire host of knights the crown of nature. But before her heart could feel the power of sweet love, her father died in battle on a Saracen shore. Her uncle, a knight named Manfry, was made her guardian; it gladdened his heart, as hard as rock, to think of the maiden's goods and gold. Soon everywhere in the land went the sad news: "The cold night of death has surrounded the rose of Montanvert." A black squad of death seethes high above the maiden's castle: the dull churchbells announce her death for three days and nights. Forever gone, forever dead, O rose of Montanvert! Now you will no longer mitigate the sufferings of widows and the pain of orphans! So old and young unanimously mourn, their expressions heavy with tears, from dawn to dusk, the rose of Montanvert. Her uncle hid her in a tower, filled with moldy air! Then they lowered the empty coffin into her father's crypt. Silent and anxious, the maiden heard the litany of the priests, dimly through the dungeon's bars penetrated the red gleam of torches. She sensed with horror her fate; she grew numb and sad, and her eyes grew dim in the night of death; she sank and was no more. The tower's ruins by the lake are still to be seen today; When he nears them, the wanderer is gripped by an eerie terror. Also, many a shepherd will declare that at night he often sees a silver cloud high up, and the maiden drifting there.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet Archive -- https://www.lieder.net/For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich von Matthisson (1761 - 1831), written 1791, appears in In der Fremde (Schweiz und Frankreich) (1787-1794), first published 1802
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 52
Word count: 293