Ständchen
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the Hungarian (Magyar)
Available translation(s): ENG LIT POR
Herab läßt sich der Wolke Saum,
Herbstregen tropft auf Strauch und Baum,
Der Baum siecht hin im Blätterfall --
Und dennoch singt die Nachtigall!
Es ist bereits spät an der Zeit,
Und schlummerst du schon, braune Maid?
Hörst du den Nachtigallenschall,
Das trübe Lied der Nachtigall?
Es gießt der Regen stark im Ort,
Die Nachtigall singt trotzdem fort,
Und wer da hört ihr trübes Lied,
Dem wird das Herz so schwer und müd'!
Ei, schläfst du, braunes Kind, noch nicht!
Horch, was das Vöglein singt so schlicht:
Denn meine Liebe ist's, die singt,
Ist meine Seele, die verklingt!
Confirmed with Dichtungen von Alexander Petöfi. Aus dem Ungarischen, in eigenen und fremden Übersetzungen herausgegeben von Karl Maria Kertbeny, Leipzig, F. A. Brockhaus, 1858, pages 252-253.
Authorship:
Based on:
- a text in Hungarian (Magyar) by Sándor Petőfi (1823 - 1849), written 1846
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 (Michael Berridge) , "Serenade", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , "Serenada", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- POR Portuguese (Português) (Carlos Rodriguez) , "Serenata", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: John Versmoren
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-14
Line count: 16
Word count: 97
Serenade
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
The clouds hang low,
autumn rain drips on bush and tree,
The tree dies back with falling leaves –
and yet the nightingale sings!
The hour is late,
and are you asleep, brown girl?
Do you hear the nightingale call,
the plaintive song of the nightingale?
The rain is falling heavily,
the nightingale still sings on,
And he who hears her plaintive song,
his heart will be so heavy and tired!
What, brown child, are you not asleep yet!
Hear what the little bird so simply sings:
For it is my love that sings,
it is my soul that dies away!
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2024 by Michael Berridge, (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:
Based on:
- a text in Hungarian (Magyar) by Sándor Petőfi (1823 - 1849), written 1846
This text was added to the website: 2024-05-06
Line count: 16
Word count: 101