by Montagu Slater (1902 - 1956)
Translation © by Elaine Marie Ortiz-Arandes

Mother Comfort
Language: English 
Our translations:  GER
Dear, shall we talk or will that cloud the sky?
Will you be Mother Comfort or shall I?
If I should love him where would our lives be?
And if you turn him out at last, then friendship pity me!
My longing, like my heart, beats to and fro.
Oh that a single life could be both Yes and No.
Ashamed to grant and frightened to refuse – 
Pity has chosen: Power has still to choose.
But darling, when that stretched out will is tired
Surely your timid prettiness longs to be overpowered?
Sure gossips have this sweet facility 
To tell transparent lies and, without pain, to cry.
Will you be Mother Comfort or shall I?

Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.

Text 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 or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • GER German (Deutsch) (Elaine Marie Ortiz-Arandes) , "Mutter Trost", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2015-09-24
Line count: 13
Word count: 116

Mutter Trost
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
Liebes, sollen wir spreche oder wird das den Himmel bewölken?
Wirst Du Mutter Trost sein, oder soll ich?
Wenn ich ihn lieben sollte… Wo wären unsere Leben?
Und wenn du ihn endlich wegstößt, soll die Freundschaft sich meiner erbarmen!
Mein Verlangen genau wie mein Herz schlagen hin und her…
Oh, könnte ein einziges Leben nur aus ja und nein bestehen!
Beschämt, zu gewähren und erschrocken, um zu verweigern…
Das Mitleid hat gewählt: Die Macht muss sich entscheiden.
Aber Liebling, wenn der überreizte Wille ermüdet ist,
Sehnt sich deine zarte Schönheit bestimmt nach Überwindung?
Sicherlich hat ein Geschwätz leicht Gelegenheit
Durchschaubare Lügen zu erzählen und ohne Schmerz zu weinen.
Wirst Du Mutter Trost sein, oder soll ich?

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2015 by Elaine Marie Ortiz-Arandes, (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: 

Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2015-09-24
Line count: 13
Word count: 116