Auf der Donau
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA
Auf der Wellen Spiegel
Schwimmt der Kahn.
Alte Burgen ragen
Himmelan;
Tannenwälder rauschen
[Geistergleich -]1
Und das Herz im Busen
Wird uns weich.
Denn der Menschen Werke
Sinken all';
Wo ist [Thurm und]2 Pforte,
Wo der Wall,
Wo sie selbst, die Starken?
Erzgeschirmt,
Die in Krieg und Jagden
Hingestürmt.
Trauriges Gestrüppe
Wuchert fort,
Während frommer Sage
Kraft verdorrt.
Und im kleinen Kahne
Wird uns bang -
Wellen droh'n, wie Zeiten,
Untergang.
View original text (without footnotes)
Confirmed with Gedichte von Johann Mayrhofer. Wien. Bey Friedrich Volke. 1824, pages 18-19; and with Mahlerisches Taschenbuch für Freunde interessanter Gegenden Natur- und Kunst Merkwürdigkeiten der Österreichischen Monarchie. Sechster Jahrgang. Wien, 1818. Im Verlage bey Anton Doll, pages 1-2.
1 Mayrhofer (1818 edition): "Geistern gleich,"
2 Schubert: "Thurm, wo"
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) , "Al Danubi", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Op de Donau", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "On the Danube", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Sur le Danube", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Sul Danubio", copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Richard Morris , Peter Rastl
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 71
On the Danube
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
Upon the waves' mirror
floats our boat;
Old castles tower up
toward heaven,
Pine forests rustle
ghost-like,
And the hearts in our bosoms
melt.
For man's work
fails ever:
Where is tower, where gate,
where wall,
Where are they, these armoured
strongholds,
That were besieged
in war and in hunt?
Sad undergrowth
proliferates,
While the strength of pious words
fades:
And in the small boat,
we become timid:
Waves, like Time, threaten
impending death.
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.
licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 74