Futile love | Yes, I know it, this true love

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Joseph Karl Bernard (1780 - 1850)

Translation © by Emily Ezust

Vergebliche Liebe

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE

Ja, ich weiß es, diese treue Liebe
Hegt umsonst mein wundes Herz;
Wenn mir nur die kleinste Hoffnung bliebe:
Reich belohnet wär' mein Schmerz!

Aber auch die Hoffnung ist vergebens,
Kenn' ich doch ihr grausam Spiel.
Trotz der Treue meines [heissen]¹ Strebens
Fliehet ewig mich das Ziel. -

Dennoch lieb' ich, dennoch hoff' ich immer,
Ohne Liebe, ohne Hoffnung treu;
Lassen kann ich diese Liebe nimmer,
Mit ihr bricht das Herz entzwey!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• F. Schubert

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Selam. Ein Almanach für Freunde des Mannigfaltigen. Herausgegeben von I.F.Castelli. Dritter Jahrgang 1814. Wien, gedruckt und im Verlage bey Anton Strauß, page 199.

¹ omitted by Schubert

Text Authorship:

by Joseph Karl Bernard (1780 - 1850), "Vergebliche Liebe" [author's text checked 1 time 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 Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Vergebliche Liebe", op. posth. 173 (Sechs Lieder) no. 3, D 177 (1815), published 1867 [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Amor inútil", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Vergeefse liefde", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Futile love", copyright ©
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Amour inutile", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 72

Futile love

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Yes, I know it, this true love
is cherished in vain by my injured heart!
If only there remained for me the smallest hope,
I would be richly rewarded for my pain!

But even this hope is futile,
for I know well her cruel game!
Despite the faithfulness of my struggle,
my goal ever flies from me!

Nevertheless, I love; nevertheless, I hope, always
without love, without true hope;
I can never abandon this love!
Without it, my heart would break in two!

Text 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
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:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Joseph Karl Bernard (1780 - 1850), "Vergebliche Liebe"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 83