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Brich, brich, brich O Meer an dem kalten Gestein! Die Gedanken spricht meine Lippe nicht aus Die du rauschst in mein Herz hinein! O wohl dem Matrosenbub' Der da singet, gewiegt vom Kiel! O, wohl dem Fischermannsohn Der da jauchzt mit der Schwester im Spiel! Bald hat das stattliche Schiff Auf der Rückkehr den Hafen erreicht: Doch wer bringt mir zurück den Druck jener Hand, Und den Laut jener Stimme, die schweigt? Brich, brich, brich An dem Fuss deines Felsens, o Meer! Doch die zarte Schönheit vergangenen Tags Kehrt mir nimmer und nimmermehr!
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with all available footnotesConfirmed with Julius Hart, England und Amerika. Fünf Bücher englischer u. amerikanischer Gedichte von den Anfängen bis auf die Gegenwart, Minden i. W.: J.C.C. Bruns' Verlag, 1885, pages 337-338.
Text Authorship:
- by Eugen Oswald (1826 - 1912), "Brich, brich, brich" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892), no title, appears in Poems, Volume II, first published 1842
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Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2018-10-10
Line count: 16
Word count: 104
Break, break, break, Oh sea, upon the cold rocks! My lips cannot utter the thoughts That your rushing brings into my heart! Oh happy is the sailor lad Who sings, rocked by the keel! Oh happy is the fisher's son Who rejoices with his sister at play! Soon the stately ship has, On its homeward journey, reached the harbour: But who can bring back to me the pressure of that hand, And the sound of that voice that has fallen silent? Break, break, break, At the foot of your cliffs, oh sea! But the tender beauty of past days Shall never and nevermore return for me!
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with all available footnotesTranslations of title(s):
"Brich, brich o Meer...!" = "Break, break oh sea...!"
"Brich, brich, brich" = "Break, break, break"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2019 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 Eugen Oswald (1826 - 1912), "Brich, brich, brich"
Based on:
- a text in English by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892), no title, appears in Poems, Volume II, first published 1842
Go to the general view
This text was added to the website: 2019-03-10
Line count: 16
Word count: 115