by Friedrich Heinrich Karl, Freiherr de La Motte-Fouqué (1777 - 1843)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Lied
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
Singend zog auf seinem Rappen
  Wohl ein Graf den Berg hinan;
  Hinter ihm die muntern Knappen
  Stimmten viele Lieder an.
 
Eins begannen sie zu singen
  Von der Liebe süßem Schmerz:
  Wie er wunderlich mag dringen
  Durch den Panzer in das Herz;
 
Wie im wilden Schlachtgewimmel
  Und auf rauher Pilgerfahrt
  Der ersehnte Liebeshimmel
  Schöner nur sich offenbart;
 
Wie allgegenwärtig schaltet
  Liebchens süße Zaubermacht;
  Wie sich alles umgestaltet,
  Ob sie trauert, ob sie lacht.
 
Und es spricht auf seinem Rappen
  Still der Ritter vor sich hin:
  "Wie Ihr's scherzend singt, Ihr Knappen,
  Ach ist ernstlich mir zu Sinn!"

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   J. D'Alquen 

J. D'Alquen sets stanzas 1-4, 1, 5

Confirmed with Gedichte von Fridr. Baron de la Motte-Fouqué, Neueste Auflage, Wien: Bey B. Ph. Bauer, 1816, pages 12-13


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):

  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Song", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2015-10-21
Line count: 20
Word count: 96

Song
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Singing upon his black horse,
  An Earl rode up the mountain;
  Behind him the merry knaves
  Struck up many a song.
 
One song they began to sing
  About the sweet pain of love:
  How it miraculously may penetrate
  Through the armour into the heart;
 
How in the wild turmoil of battle
  And upon a rough pilgrimage
  The yearned-for heaven of love
  Reveals itself even more beautifully;
 
How omnipresent and active
  Is the beloved’s sweet magical power;
  How everything is transformed
  Depending on whether she sorrows or laughs.
 
And upon his black horse the knight
  Quietly says to himself:
  “As you sing it jestingly, you knaves,
  Ah, my spirit feels it in seriousness!”

Text 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.
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This text was added to the website: 2015-10-21
Line count: 20
Word count: 112