Act II. Mahulena’s Song | …I used to sing often, I think

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by Julius Zeyer (1841 - 1901)

Translation © by Patrick John Corness

Jednání II. Píseń Mahuleny

Language: Czech (Čeština)

Our translations: ENG

Mahulena:
…Zpívávala jsem, tak se mi zdá. 
Kam odlétly ty moje staré písně? 
(mlčí, za chvíli počne tiše zpívat.)

Těch dvanáct panen změnilo se v holubice
a sedly na javor, žalostně vrkajíce 
a pravily: kdo velké naše hoře 
by prozradil, ať oněmí…

(mluví)

Ne, tak to není… Či snad přece… 
Nač ale zpívat? Ach, raděj chtěla bych 
na světě nebýt... nebýt … 

(Propukne v tichý pláč. 
Vratko blíží se nesměle plačící Mahuleně.)

Text Authorship:

by Julius Zeyer (1841 - 1901) [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 Josef Suk (1874 - 1935), "Jednání II. Píseń Mahuleny", subtitle: "Slovenská lidová", op. 13 no. 5 (1897-1898) [ voice and piano ], from Radúz a Mahulena, no. 5, revised 1912 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Patrick John Corness) , "Act II. Mahulena’s Song", subtitle: "A Slovak folk song", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Patrick John Corness

This text was added to the website: 2023-11-08
Line count: 14
Word count: 72

Act II. Mahulena’s Song

Language: English after the Czech (Čeština)

Mahulena:
…I used to sing often, I think. 
Whither have those old songs of mine flown away? 
(she falls silent, then after a while begins to sing softly.) 

All the twelve maidens changed and all turning into doves 
settled on a maple, cooing, cooing their lament:
anyone who tells the tale of our lost loves
and our sad grief shall be struck dumb…

(she speaks)

No, that isn’t it... Perhaps it is… 
But why sing? Ah, I would rather not 
be of this world… oh no... 

(She begins softly weeping. 
Vratko hesitantly approaches sobbing Mahulena.)

Subtitle: "A Slovak folk song"

Text Authorship:

Translation from Czech (Čeština) to English copyright © 2023 by Patrick John Corness, (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 Czech (Čeština) by Julius Zeyer (1841 - 1901)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2023-11-08
Line count: 14
Word count: 95