Il était une fois | « Il était une fois », dit la conteuse

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by Wilhelmine Gräfin Wickenburg-Almasy (1845 - 1890)

Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Es war einmal", so spricht die...

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

"Es war einmal", so spricht die Märchenfrau,
Und aus vergang'ner Zeiten Dämmergrau
Retcht sie der Kinderschar
Die gold'nen Schätze dar.

Auch ich erzähl' in trüber Einsamkeit
Mir schöne Märchen aus vergangner Zeit
Und sprech in Sehnsuchtsqual ganz leis:
"Es war einmal."

Es war einmal und wird nicht wieder sein.
O Lust und Kraft, o Sang und Sonnenschein,
Ihr winkt von ferne her,
Ein Märchen und nicht mehr.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Wilhelmine Gräfin Wickenburg-Almasy (1845 - 1890) [author's text not yet checked 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 Albert Felix, Graf Amadei (1851 - 1894), ""Es war einmal" so spricht die Märchenfrau", op. 17 (Sechs Lieder für 1 mittlere Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 1, published 1892 [ medium voice and piano ], Hamburg, Rahter [sung text not yet checked]
by Bertha von Brukenthal (1846 - 1908), ""Es war einmal", so spricht die Märchenfrau", published 1895 [ voice and piano ], Wien, Gutmann [sung text not yet checked]
by Dora Pejačević (1885 - 1923), "Es war einmal", op. 23 (Sieben Lieder) no. 7 (1907) [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Iain Sneddon) , "Once upon a time", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Il était une fois", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2013-02-08
Line count: 12
Word count: 67

Il était une fois

Language: French (Français) after the German (Deutsch)

« Il était une fois », dit la conteuse,
Et du crépuscule du temps passé
Elle présente au groupe d'enfants
Les trésors dorés.

Dans ma solitude terne, je raconte aussi
Pour moi des beaux contes du temps passé
Et dans une nostalgie douloureuse je dis tout doucement
« Il était une fois ».

Il était une fois ne reviendra jamais.
Ô plaisir et force, ô chant et éclat du soleil,
Vous faites signe de loin,
Un conte et rien de plus.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2013 by Guy Laffaille, (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 Wilhelmine Gräfin Wickenburg-Almasy (1845 - 1890)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2013-02-10
Line count: 12
Word count: 81