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Næppe tør jeg tale, Så vinker han brat; Kongen drømmer vågen, Men værre dog ved Nat; Ville så gerne sige ham, Hvad mest jeg tænker på... Jeg tænker på svundne Dage: Det kan han ej forstå! Jeg drømte, jeg var en Due Og sattes med Høg i Bur, For Høgens funklende Øje Jeg flygted' med Skræk mod Mur; Så bød han mig sikkert Lejde, Hvorhen jeg blot havde Lyst... Så hugged han Næbbets Kårde Igennem mit hvide Bryst. Våge må jeg stedse Ved Dag og ved Nat, Vender jeg mig fra ham, Så vågner han brat, Fatter mig i sit Favnetag, Som ville jeg fra ham gå... Hans Kys er glødende Lue; Jeg kan dem ej forstå.
Text Authorship:
- by Holger Henrik Herholdt Drachmann (1846 - 1908), "Næppe tør jeg tale", appears in Ranker og roser, in Dyvekes Viser, in Paa Sjælland, no. 3 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Peter Arnold Heise (1830 - 1879), "Næppe tør jeg tale", published 1879 [ voice and piano ], from Dyvekes Sange, no. 5, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Heinrich Zschalig ; composed by Peter Arnold Heise.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Camilla Bugge) , "Hardly dare I speak", copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "C'est à peine si j'ose parler", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Camilla Bugge , Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2004-12-11
Line count: 24
Word count: 117
Hardly dare I speak, 'fore sudden he waves; the king dreams awake, and yet worse by night; would so like to tell him what I think about the most... I think of days gone by: he cannot understand it! I dreamt, that I was a dove, and caged with a hawk, from the hawk's glittering eyes I fled 'gainst the wall in fear; then he offered me safe-conduct wherever I might desire... then he thrust his rapier beak through my white breast. Ever must I wake by day and by night, if I turn from him, he wakens suddenly, clasps me in his embrace, as if I would leave him... his kisses are burning flame; I cannot understand them.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Danish (Dansk) to English copyright © 2004 by Camilla Bugge, (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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Based on:
- a text in Danish (Dansk) by Holger Henrik Herholdt Drachmann (1846 - 1908), "Næppe tør jeg tale", appears in Ranker og roser, in Dyvekes Viser, in Paa Sjælland, no. 3
This text was added to the website: 2004-12-11
Line count: 24
Word count: 119