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Im trüben Licht verschwinden schon die Berge, Es schwebt das Schiff auf glatten Meereswogen, Worauf die Königinn mit ihrem Zwerge. Sie schaut empor zum hochgewölbten Bogen, Hinauf zur lichtdurchwirkten blauen Ferne, Die mit der Milch des Himmels blaß durchzogen. Nie habt ihr mir gelogen noch, ihr Sterne, So ruft sie aus, bald werd' ich nun entschwinden, Ihr sagt es mir, doch sterb' ich wahrlich gerne. Da [geht]1 der Zwerg zur Königinn, mag binden Um ihren Hals die Schnur von rother Seide, Und weint, als wollt' er schnell vor Gram erblinden. Er spricht: Du selbst bist schuld an diesem Leide, Weil um den König du mich hast verlassen: Jetzt weckt dein Sterben einzig mir noch Freude. Zwar werd' ich ewiglich mich selber hassen, Der dir mit dieser Hand den Tod gegeben, Doch mußt zum frühen Grab du nun erblassen. Sie legt die Hand auf's Herz voll jungem Leben, Und aus dem Aug die schweren Thränen rinnen, Das sie zum Himmel bethend will erheben. Mögst du nicht Schmerz durch meinen Tod gewinnen! Sie sagt's, da küßt der Zwerg die bleichen Wangen, D'rauf alsobald vergehen ihr die Sinnen. Der Zwerg schaut an die Frau, vom Tod befangen, Er senkt sie tief in's Meer mit eig'nen Handen, Ihm brennt nach ihr das Herz so voll Verlangen, - An keiner Küste wird er je mehr landen.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Selam. Ein Almanach für Freunde des Mannigfaltigen auf das Jahr 1813. Herausgegeben von I.F.Castelli. Wien, gedruckt und im Verlage bey Anton Strauß, pages 68-69.
Note: This is the first version of Collin's poem. A later, slightly modified version, with the title Der Zwerg, has been published posthumously in 1827 (see below).
1 Schubert: "tritt"Authorship:
- by Matthäus Kasimir von Collin (1779 - 1824), "Treubruch", first published 1813 [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), "Der Zwerg", op. 22 (Zwei Lieder) no. 1, D 771 (1823?), published 1823 [sung text checked 1 time]
Another version of this text exists in the database.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De dwerg", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The dwarf", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- HEB Hebrew (עברית) (Max Mader) , "הגמד", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Il nano", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- NOR Norwegian (Bokmål) (Marianne Beate Kielland) , "Dvergen", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- RUS Russian (Русский) (Elena Kalinina) , copyright © 2017, (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: 28
Word count: 221
Into the gloomy light, the mountains are already disappearing On flat sea waves floats a boat: on board are the queen and her dwarf. She gazes up into the high-arched vault, into the blue, light-woven distance that with the milk of the sky is streaked blue. "Never, never have you lied to me yet, you stars." So she cries, "and soon I will vanish, you tell me; but in truth, I will die gladly." Then the dwarf steps up to the queen to bind a red silk cord around her neck, and he weeps as if he wanted to blind himself with grief. He speaks: "You yourself are to blame for this suffering because you have forsaken me for the king. Now only your death will awaken joy in me. "It is true I will hate myself forever for having bestowed death on you with my own hand; but now, pale, you must go to your early grave." She lays her hand on her heart full of youthful life, and heavy tears run from her eyes that she would lift imploringly to the heavens. "May you suffer no pain through my death!" she says; the dwarf kisses her pale cheeks and in that moment her senses leave her. The dwarf gazes at the lady, overcome with death, and sinks her deep into the sea with his own hands. His heart burns with desire for her; upon no coast will he ever land again.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
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Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Matthäus Kasimir von Collin (1779 - 1824), "Treubruch", first published 1813
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 243