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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

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

by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Das Burgfräulein von Windeck
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG FRE
Halt an den schnaubenden Rappen,
Verblendeter Rittersmann!
Gen Windeck fleucht, dich verlockend,
Der luftige Hirsch hinan.

Und vor den mächtigen Türmen,
Vom äußern verfallenen Tor
Durchschweifte sein Auge die Trümmer,
Worunter das Wild sich verlor.

Da war es so einsam und stille,
Es brannte die Sonne so heiß,
Er trocknete tiefaufatmend
Von seiner Stirne den Schweiß.

«Wer brächte des köstlichen Weines
Mir nur ein Trinkhorn voll,
Den hier der verschüttete Keller
Verborgen noch hegen soll?»

Kaum war das Wort beflügelt
Von seinen Lippen entflohn,
So bog um die Efeu-Mauer
Die sorgende Schaffnerin schon.

Die zarte, die herrliche Jungfrau,
In blendend weißem Gewand,
Den Schlüsselbund im Gürtel,
Das Trinkhorn hoch in der Hand.

Er schlürfte mit gierigem Munde
Den würzig köstlichen Wein,
Er schlürfte verzehrende Flammen
In seinen Busen hinein.

Des Auges klare Tiefe!
Der Locken flüssiges Gold! --
Es falteten seine Hände
Sich flehend um Minnesold.

Sie sah ihn an mitleidig
Und ernst und wunderbar,
Und war so schnell verschwunden,
Wie schnell sie erschienen war.

Er hat seit dieser Stunde,
An Windecks Trümmer gebannt,
Nicht Ruh, nicht Rast gefunden,
Und keine Hoffnung gekannt.

Er schlich im wachen Traume,
Gespenstig, siech und bleich,
Zu sterben nicht vermögend,
Und keinem Lebendigen gleich.

Sie sagen: sie sei ihm zum andern
Erschienen nach langer Zeit,
Und hab ihn geküßt auf die Lippen,
Und so ihn vom Leben befreit.

Text Authorship:

  • by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838), "Das Burgfräulein von Windeck", appears in Lieder und lyrisch epische Gedichte [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 (Leopold) Heinrich (Picot de Peccaduc), Freiherr von Herzogenberg (1843 - 1900), "Das Burgfräulein von Windeck", op. 65 (Drei Balladen für 1 mittlere Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1890 [ medium voice and piano ], Leipzig, Rieter-Biedermann [sung text not yet checked]

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

  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The Damsel of Windeck Castle", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "La damoiselle de Windeck", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-03-04
Line count: 48
Word count: 223

The Damsel of Windeck Castle
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Arrest your snorting steed,
Blinded knight!
Up toward Windeck is fleeing
The deer that is tempting you on.

And before the mighty towers,
From the derelict outer gate
His eyes scanned the ruins
Among which the game had lost itself.

It was so lonely and quiet,
The sun burned down so hotly;
He took a deep breath and dried
The sweat from his brow.

"Who would bring me of precious wine
A full drinking horn,
[Wine] that the buried cellars here
Are said to be concealing still?"

The words had barely flown
Swiftly from his lips,
When around the ivy-shrouded wall
A ministering chatelaine already came.

The delicate, the magnificent maiden,
In a blindingly white dress,
The key chain hanging from her belt
The drinking horn held aloft in her hand.

With greedy lips he quaffed
The spicy, precious wine,
He [also] quaffed consuming flames
Into his bosom.

The clear depths of her eyes!
The liquid gold of her curls! --
He clasped his hands,
Pleading for love's reward.

She looked at him pityingly
And seriously and marvellously,
And vanished as quickly
As she had appeared.

Since this hour, bound by
An enchantment to Windeck's ruins,
He has found neither peace, nor rest,
And has known no hope.

He crept about in a waking dream,
Ghost-like, ill, wasted and pale,
Unable to die,
And unlike any living person.

It is said that she appeared to him
Again after a long time,
And kissed him upon the lips,
And thus freed him from life.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2011 by Sharon Krebs, (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:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838), "Das Burgfräulein von Windeck", appears in Lieder und lyrisch epische Gedichte
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2011-01-10
Line count: 48
Word count: 252

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has 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 help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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