by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Memnon
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA
Den Tag hindurch nur einmahl mag ich sprechen,
Gewohnt zu schweigen immer, und zu trauern:
[Wann]1 durch die nachtgebornen Nebelmauern
Aurorens Purpurstrahlen liebend brechen.

Für Menschenohren sind es Harmonien.
Weil ich die Klage selbst melodisch künde,
Und durch der Dichtung Gluth das Rauhe ründe,
Vermuthen sie in mir ein selig Blühen.

In mir - nach dem des Todes Arme langen,
In dessen tiefstem Herzen Schlangen wühlen;
Genährt von meinen schmerzlichen Gefühlen -
Fast wüthend durch ein ungestillt Verlangen:

Mit dir, des Morgens Göttin, mich zu einen,
Und weit von diesem nichtigen Getriebe,
Aus Sphären edler Freyheit, [reiner]2 Liebe,
Ein [bleicher stiller]3 Stern herab zu scheinen.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   F. Schubert 

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Gedichte von Johann Mayrhofer. Wien. Bey Friedrich Volke. 1824, page 160.

1 Schubert: "Wenn"
2 Schubert: "aus Sphären reiner"
3 Schubert: "stiller bleicher"

Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Mèmnon", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Memnon", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Memnon", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Memnon", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Memnone", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 106

Memnon
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
The whole day long I may only speak once,
accustomed to being constantly silent and mourning:
when, through the night-begotten walls of mist
Aurora's purple beams lovingly break.

To human ears this is harmony.
Because I proclaim my lament so melodically
and through the glow of poetry remold its roughness,
they suppose in me a joyous bloom.

But in me, for whom Death's arms reach,
and in the depths of whose heart burrow serpents,
nourished by my painful thoughts,
I am almost frenzied with unappeased desire

to unite myself with you, O Goddess of the Morning,
and, far from this futile bustle,
from the spheres of noble freedom and pure love,
to shine down as a silent, pale star.

Text 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

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.


Based on:

 

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 119