Eine dunkle Stunde
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): ENG
Der Traum ist aus, mein Glück [ist hin]1! --
Wenn's auch dein Mund nicht spricht,
Ich fühl', daß ich dir nichts mehr bin,
Verhehl' es, läugn' es nicht!
Schlang meine Lieb' einst weich und warm
Ein Mantel um dich sich her,
Beengt nun fühlst du Hand und Arm,
Nun wärmt er dich nicht mehr.
Die Seele, dir, nur dir geweiht,
Du kennst sie ganz und tief,
Und sieh, nun legst du sie bei Seit
Wie einen gelesenen Brief.
Ein Becher schien dir einst mein Herz,
Nun [da]2 an seinem Rand
Du dich berauscht in Lust und Schmerz,
Entsinkt es deiner Hand.
O laß es fallen! Wenn's auch birst,
Betrüb' dich nicht zu sehr,
Für einen Freund, den du verlierst,
Bewacht dich ein Schutzgeist mehr!
H. Marschner sets stanzas 1-2, 4-5
View original text (without footnotes)
Confirmed Gedichte von Friedrich Halm, Stuttgart und Tübingen: J.G. Cotta'scher Verlag, 1850, pages 176-177. Note: modernized spelling would require changing "läugn'" to "leugn'", etc.
1 Marschner: "dahin"
2 Marschner: "du"
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):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "A dark hour", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs
[Guest Editor] , Jeffrey Williams
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2015-07-04
Line count: 20
Word count: 123
A dark hour
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
The dream is over, my happiness is lost! --
Even if your lips do not speak it,
I feel that I no longer mean anything to you,
Conceal [it not], deny it not!
If my love once softly and warm wrapped
Itself about you like a cloak,
You now feel your hand and arm restricted [by it],
[The cloak] no longer warms you.
The soul that was dedicated to you, only you,
You know it completely and deeply,
And lo, now you lay it aside
Like a letter that has been read.
Once my heart seemed to you a goblet;
Now that at its rim
You have intoxicated yourself in joy and sorrow,
It falls from your hand.
Oh let it fall! Even if it shatters,
Do not be all too saddened,
In exchange for the friend whom you lose,
You shall be watched over by one more guardian angel.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2015 by Sharon Krebs, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2015-07-04
Line count: 20
Word count: 149