by Thomas Campbell (1777 - 1844)
Translation Singable translation by Georg Pertz (1830 - 1870)
Our bugles sung truce, for the...
Language: English
Available translation(s): FRE
Our bugles sung truce, for the night-cloud had low'r'd, And the Sentinel stars set their watch in the sky, And thousands had sunk on the ground, overpow'r'd, The weary to sleep, and the wounded to die. When reposing that night om my pallet of straw, By the wolf-scaring faggot that guarded the slain, At the dead of the night a sweet vision I saw, And thrice ere the morning I dreamt it again. Methought from the battlefield's dreadful array, Far, far I had roam'd on a desolate track; 'Twas autumn, and sunshine arose on the way To the home of my fathers, that welcom'd me back. I flew to the pleasant fields travers'd so oft In life's morning march, when my bosom was young; I heard my own mountain goats bleating aloft, And knew the sweet strain the cornreapers sung. Then pledg'd we the wine-cup, and fondly I swore. From my home and my weeping friends never to part; My little ones kiss'd me a thousand times o'er, And my wife sobb'd aloud in her fullness of heart. Stay, stay with us, rest, thou art weary and worn; And fain was their war-broken soldier to stay; But sorrow return'd with the drawing of morn, And the voice in my dreaming ear melted away.
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Authorship:
- by Thomas Campbell (1777 - 1844) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Arnold Edward Trevor Bax, Sir (1883 - 1953), "The soldier's dream", 1900 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827), "The soldier's dream", alternate title: "Our bugles sung truce", WoO. 152 (25 irische Lieder) no. 9, G. 223 no. 9 (1810/3) [ voice, violin, violoncello, piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by (Franz) Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809), "The soldier's dream", subtitle: "Captain O'Kain", JHW. XXXII/5 no. 401, Hob. XXXIa no. 224 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le rêve du soldat", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Georg Pertz) , "Des Soldaten Traum"
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2004-12-11
Line count: 24
Word count: 213
Des Soldaten Traum
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English
Unser Schlachthorn blies Halt! Denn die Nacht brach herein, Und der Wachstern hub an seine Wache zu tun, Und Tausende sanken erschöpft auf den Rain, Die Wunden zu sterben, die Müden zu ruhn. Als zur Nacht ich dort lag, auf mein Strohbett gestreckt, Beim Brand, der den Wolf von den Toten verjagt, Hat mich schlummernd ein liebliches Traumbild umneckt, Und noch dreimal erschien mir's eh' Morgen getagt. Fern, fern von dem Blachfeld so schaurig umprunkt, Glitt auf einsamen Pfaden mein wandernder Fuß, 's war Herbstzeit, und sonnig vergoldet ein Punkt, Das Haus meiner Heimat, es jauchzte mir Gruß! Ich flog zum Gefild, das beim Murmeln des Quells Im Lenz meines Lebens so oft ich durchsprang, Ich hörte das Meckern der Ziegen am Fels Und kannte das Lied, was die Schnitterin sang. Dann kreiste der Becher, und froh schwur ich dort: Von Heimat und Freund kehrt?ich nimmer zurück, Meine Kleinen, sie küßten und küßten mich fort, Mein Weib schluchzte laut, überwältigt vom Glück. Bleib, bleib mit uns, bleib! Du bist müde und schwach; Und ich taumelte, matt wie ein Knickendes Rohr, Doch Sorge ward wieder ums Morgenrot wach, Und die Stimme zerschmolz mir im träumenden Ohr.
Authorship:
- Singable translation by Georg Pertz (1830 - 1870), "Des Soldaten Traum" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Thomas Campbell (1777 - 1844)
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2004-12-11
Line count: 24
Word count: 196