Overheard | I heard a little voice ringing out

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by Alfred Mombert (1872 - 1942)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Erlauschtes

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

   Ich hört' ein Stimmlein klingen
aus glühendem Rosenhag:

   „Meine Glieder sind weiß und schön.
Das sagen alle Blumen,
das sagen alle Vögel,
die mich einmal gesehn ...

   „Ich kann auch blühen und singen,
viel schöner als der Frühlingstag ...

   „Meine Mutter ist ein Kettenhund,
sie hält mir immer zu den Mund,
wenn ich blühen will und singen ...

   „Da Keiner knien will und schmachten,
thu' ich mich selber betrachten...

„Meine Glieder sind weiß und schön ...

„Meine Glieder sind weiß und schön"...

Confirmed with Alfred Mombert, Tag und Nacht. Gedichte, Heidelberg: Verlag von J. Hörning, 1894, page 45

Text Authorship:

by Alfred Mombert (1872 - 1942), "Erlauschtes", appears in Tag und Nacht: Gedichte [author's text checked 2 times 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 Clemens Schultze-Biesantz (1876 - 1935), "Erlauschtes", published 1897 [voice and piano], from In Freud' und Leid. Zwölf Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 12, Braunschweig, Litolff [ sung text not verified ]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , title 1: "Overheard", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2014-03-26
Line count: 15
Word count: 79

Overheard

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

I heard a little voice ringing out
from the glowing rose arbour:

   "My limbs are white and lovely.
All the flowers say it,
all the birds say it,
those who saw me once . . .

   "I, too, can bloom and sing,
much more beautifully than the spring day . . . 

   "My mother is a watchdog,
she always holds my mouth shut
when I wish to bloom and sing . . .

   "Since no one wishes to kneel and languish [before me],
I contemplate [my beauty] myself . . . 

"My limbs are white and lovely . . .

"My limbs are white and lovely" . . .

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 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 Alfred Mombert (1872 - 1942), "Erlauschtes", appears in Tag und Nacht: Gedichte
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2017-05-10
Line count: 15
Word count: 109