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Der Klosterthurm ist so fest gebaut -- Sie führen hinein die Himmelsbraut; Sie haben gebrochen den Urtheilsstab, Und mauern sie ein in's Mauergrab. -- Ein Edelherr reitet über die Haid': "Was hat euch gethan die arme Maid? Und kostet's mein Leben, wohlan -- es sei, Tod, oder die Holde mein eigen und frei!" -- Der Wind, er wehet so lind, so leis'; Der Wetterhahn singt die alte Weis' -- "Was hallt so dumpf? ist's Hammerschlag?" -- Wohl hallt es [in's]1 im Grab der Nonne nach. Der Wind umbrauset so wild den Thurm -- "Was, Wetterhahn, singst du dein Lied in den Sturm?" ""Ich sing' von der Rose ein trauriges Lied, Dir hat sie geglüht, dir ist sie verblüht!""
Confirmed with Slavische Melodien von Siegfried Kapper, Leipzig: Wilhelm Einhorn, 1844, pages 37-38.
1 von Goethe: "im"Text Authorship:
- by Siegfried Kapper (1821 - 1879), "Die Nonne", appears in Slavische Melodien, in Aus dem Slovakenlande [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 Walther von Goethe (1818 - 1885), "Die Nonne", op. 22, Heft 1 no. 1, published 1851 [ voice and piano ], from Slavische Bilder, no. 1, Bonn: N. Simrock [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The nun", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2025-11-30
Line count: 16
Word count: 113
The nunnery's tower is so strongly built -- Into it they lead the bride of Heaven; They have broken the staff of judgement, And immure her into a walled grave. -- A noble lord rides over the heath: "What has that poor maiden done to [harm] you? And though it cost me my life, well then -- so be it, Death, or the lovely one as my own and free!" -- The wind, it blows so gently, so quietly; The weather-vane sings the old lay -- "What echoes do dully? Is it the pounding of a hammer?" -- It must well echo [into]1 the grave of the nun. The wind roars so wildly around the tower -- "Weather-vane, what is it you sing into the storm?" ""I sing a sad song of the rose, For you she glowed, for youshe faded [and perished]!""
1 von Goethe: "within"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2025 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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Siegfried Kapper (1821 - 1879), "Die Nonne", appears in Slavische Melodien, in Aus dem Slovakenlande
This text was added to the website: 2025-12-01
Line count: 16
Word count: 139