Vergebliche Liebe

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!

Translation(s): CAT DUT ENG FRE

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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.

Authorship

• by Joseph Karl Bernard (1780 - 1850), "Vergebliche Liebe" [ author's text checked 1 time]

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 verified 1 time]

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

• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , title 1: "Futile love", copyright ©
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , title 1: "Vergeefse liefde", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , title 1: "Amour inutile", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , title 1: "Amor inútil", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Text added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project, and I have been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your gift is greatly appreciated.      - Emily Ezust

Futile love

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!

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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 -- http://www.lieder.net/

  For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
  
  
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• a text in German (Deutsch) by Joseph Karl Bernard (1780 - 1850), "Vergebliche Liebe" CAT DUT FRE
• This text was set to music by the following composer(s): Franz Peter Schubert. Go to the text.

Text added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.