by Vincenz Zusner (1803 - 1874)
Translation © by Laura Prichard

Vernichtet ist mein Lebensglück
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the Serbian (Српски) 
Our translations:  ENG
Vernichtet ist mein Lebensglück
  Vom harten Zwang der Pflicht;
Da, Jüngling, nimm den Ring zurück,
  Mein Vater liebt dich nicht.

Wohl pflanzt' ich mir zum Hochzeitskranz
  Im Garten Blumen ein,
Und sah sie schon im Sonnenglanz
  Erblühen und gedeihn.

Doch plötzlich fuhr ein Sturm heran,
  Die Blumen sanken hin,
Und [unverwelkt]1 im Gartenplan
  Steht nur der Rosmarin.

Da liegt ein Wink des Schiksals d'rin,
  Und zeigt mir deutungsvoll,
Daß nur ein Kranz von Rosmarin
  Das Haupt mir schmücken soll.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   F. Schreker •   A. Zemlinsky 

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Neuere Gedichte von Vincenz Zusner, Wien, 1853, page 101.

1 Schreker, Zemlinsky: "verwelken"

Text Authorship:

Based on:

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):

  • ENG English (Laura Prichard) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Donderwinkel

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 80

Destroyed is my life’s happiness
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Destroyed is my life’s happiness
from the harsh obligations of duty;
there, young man, take the ring back,
my father does not approve of your suit.

Upon planting a wedding wreath
of flowers in the garden,
I already saw it, in the sunshine,
bloom and flourish.

But suddenly a storm blew up,
the flowers bent over,
and withered in the garden plot,
[and] only some rosemary was left standing!

I recognize a sign from the Fates in this:
and it shows me, in the final analysis,
that only a crown of rosemary
shall adorn my head.

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of titles
"Des Mädchens Klage" = "The maiden's lament"
"Vernichtet ist mein Lebensglück" = "Destroyed is my life’s happiness"

Translator's note for stanza 4, line 3: In the pan-European “language of flowers,” rosemary has been carried by brides at weddings and used in funeral wreaths since Renaissance times. Men who could not smell the fragrant shrub were considered incapable of loving.


Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2023 by Laura Prichard, (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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This text was added to the website: 2023-10-09
Line count: 16
Word count: 96