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O Felsen, lieber Felsen, Was stürztest du nicht ein, Als ich mich trennen mußte Von dem Geliebten mein? Laß dämmern, Gott, laß dämmern, Daß bald der Abend wink' Und daß auch bald mein Leben In Dämmerung versink'! O Nachtigall, du traute, O sing' im grünen Hain, Erleichtere das Herz mir Und meines Herzens Pein! Mein Herz, das liegt erstarret Zu Stein in meiner Brust, Es findet hier auf Erden An nichts, an nichts mehr Lust. Ich frei' wohl einen Andern Und lieb' ich ihn auch nicht; Ich tue, was mein Vater Und meine Mutter spricht. Ich tue nach des Vaters Und nach der Mutter Wort, Doch heiße Tränen weinet Mein Herz in einem fort.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Josef Wenzig (1807 - 1876), "Klage", appears in Westslawischer Märchenschatz, first published 1857 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Czech (Čeština) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Klage II", op. 69 (Neun Gesänge) no. 2 (1877), published 1877 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Simrock [sung text checked 1 time]
Another version of this text exists in the database.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Lament II", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Plainte II", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-05
Line count: 24
Word count: 114
O cliff, dear cliff, Why did you not collapse When I had to part From my Beloved? Let it get dark, God, let twilight fall, So that soon evening will beckon And so that my life will also soon Sink into dusk! O nightingale, you dear, O sing in the green grove, Make my heart easy, And relieve my heart's pain! My heart, it lies stiffening To stone in my breast, It finds here on earth Nothing, nothing to give it pleasure. I am engaged to another man, And love him not; I do what my father And my mother say. I obey my father's And my mother's words, Yet hot tears without end Does my heart weep.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Josef Wenzig (1807 - 1876), "Klage", appears in Westslawischer Märchenschatz, first published 1857
Based on:
- a text in Czech (Čeština) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) [text unavailable]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-05
Line count: 24
Word count: 118