by
Paul Heyse (1830 - 1914)
Ni nana nina na will ich dir singen
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): ENG FRE
[Ni nana nina na]1 will ich dir singen.
Um Mitternacht hörst du ein Glöckchen klingen -
Nicht mein ist diese Glocke, die wir hören.
Santa Lucia wird sie wohl gehören.
Santa Lucia gab dir ihre Augen,
Die Magdalena ihre blonden Flechten,
Die Engel schenkten ihre Farben, Kindchen,
Die heil'ge Martha ihr holdsel'ges Mündchen,
Ihr Mündchen süß von Florentiner Schnitte;
O sag, wie fängt die Liebe an, ich bitte!
Sie fängt mit Musik und Geigen an,
Und endigt mit den kleinen Kindern dann;
Sie fängt wohl an mit Singen und mit Sehnen,
Und hört dann auf mit Jammern und mit Tränen.
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1 Marx: "Nina ninana"
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , title unknown, copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , title 1: "Lullaby", subtitle: "(Venetian)", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Bruno W. Häuptli
This text was added to the website: 2004-03-29
Line count: 14
Word count: 100
Ni nana nina na I shall sing to you
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
[Ni nana nina na]1 I shall sing to you.
At midnight you shall hear a little bell ringing -
This bell that we hear does not belong to me,
It likely belongs to Santa Lucia.
Santa Lucia gave you her eyes,
[Saint] Magdalen [gave you] her blonde tresses,
The angels gave [you] their colours, child,
[Saint] Martha [gave you] her lovely little mouth,
Her sweet little mouth, cut after the Florentine pattern;
Oh tell me, please, how love begins!
It begins with music and violins,
And ends with the little children then;
It begins with singing and longing,
And ends then with lamenting and with tears.
Subtitle: "(Venetian)"
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Translated titles:
"Wiegenlied", subtitle: "(Venezianisch)" = "Lullaby", subtitle: (Venetian)"
"Venetianisches Wiegenlied" = "Venetian Lullaby"
1 Marx: "Nina ninana"
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2012 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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Paul Heyse (1830 - 1914), "Wiegenlied", subtitle: "(Venezianisch)"
This text was added to the website: 2012-07-23
Line count: 14
Word count: 106