by Walter Scott, Sir (1771 - 1832)
Translation by Georg Pertz (1830 - 1870)

Waken, lords and ladies gay
Language: English 
Waken, lords and ladies gay,
[On]1 the mountain dawns the day;
All the jolly chase is here.
With hawk and horses and hunting-spear!
[Hounds are in their couples yelling,
Hawks are whistling, horns are knelling,
Merrily, merrily mingle they,
"Waken, lords and ladies gay."]2

Waken, lords and ladies gay,
The mist has left the mountain gray,
[Springlets in the dawn are steaming,
Diamonds on the brake are gleaming,
And foresters have busy been
To track the buck in thicker green;
Now we come to chant our lay,
"Waken, lords and ladies gay."]3

Waken lords and ladies gay,
To the greenwood haste away;
We can show you where he lies,
Fleet of foot and tall of size;
We can show the marks he made
When 'gainst the oak his antlers frayed;
You shall see him brought to bay;
Waken, lords and ladies gay.

Louder, louder chant the lay,
Waken, lords and ladies gay!
Tell them youth and mirth and glee
[Run a course as well as we;
Time, stern huntsman! who can balk,
Stanch as hound and fleet as hawk?
Think of this, and rise with day,
Gentle lords and ladies gay!]4

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   L. Beethoven 

L. Beethoven sets stanzas 1, 2, 4

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View original text (without footnotes)
1 Beethoven: "Upon"
2 Beethoven: 
The eager hounds in chorus cry, 
The swelling horns salute the sky; 
And merrily, merrily mingle they, 
Then Waken, lords and ladies gay !
3 Beethoven: 
Brakes are deck'd with diamonds bright,
And streams rejoice in early light. 
The foresters have busy been 
To track the buck in thicket green; 
Now we are come to chant our lay, 
Then waken, lords and ladies gay.
4 Beethoven: 
Run swift their course as well as we; 
Old Time, stern huntsman! who can baulk, 
As staunch as hound and fleet as hawk? 
O think of this, and rise with day, 
Ye gentle lords and ladies gay!

Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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Researcher for this page: Brian Holmes

This text was added to the website: 2005-07-06
Line count: 32
Word count: 195

Auf, ihr Herrn und schmucke Fraun
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
Auf, ihr Herrn und schmucke Fraun,
Rosig dämmern schon die Au'n;
Lärmend harrt der lust'ge Troß
Mit Jägerspieß und Falk und Roß;
Die Meute kläfft, das Hifthorn gellt,
Der Jagdschrei steigt zum Himmelszelt;
Und lustig, lustig ist's zu schaun,
Wacht auf denn, Herrn und schmucke Fraun!

Auf, ihr Herrn und schmucke Fraun.
Nebelfrei sind schon die Au'n;
Demant'ner Tau schmückt Busch und Tal,
Auf Quellen tanzt der Morgenstrahl;
Die Jäger spürten auf der Pirsch
Im grünen Forst schon nach dem Hirsch;
Nun jauchzen wir ins Morgengraun:
Auf, auf, ihr Herrn und schmucke Fraun!

Und lauter tönt's von Zaun zu Zaun,
Erhebt euch, Herrn und schmucke Fraun;
Jugend, Lust und Freude hier
Welkt dahin ... so schnell wie wir;
Der Jäger Zeit, der uns beschleicht
Wie Windspiel schnell, Wie Falken leicht,
O sein denkt, und mit Tagesgraun...
Auf, auf, ihr Herrn und Schmucke Fraun!

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):

    [ None yet in the database ]


Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2006-01-11
Line count: 24
Word count: 142