Je ne sais pourquoi m'effraie tant

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by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921)

Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Ich weiß nicht, was mir gar so bang

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Ich weiß nicht, was mir gar so bang
Heut in die Kammer schallte --
Ein Vöglein sang vor Thau und Tag,
Vor Thau und Tag im Walde.

Mag auch ein Bursch gewesen sein,
Der hier vorbei gezogen,
Ein Bursch, der in die Weite ging,
Weil ihn sein Schatz betrogen.

Was geht das fremde Lied mich an,
Daß ich im blassen Scheine
Des Morgens mich ins Kissen drück'
Und weine . . . ?

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Anna Ritter, Gedichte, Neunte Auflage, Stuttgart und Berlin: J.G. Cotta'sche Buchhandlung Nachfolger, 1900, page 176.

Text Authorship:

by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921), "Was geht das fremde Lied mich an", appears in Gedichte, in 3. Nach Jahren, no. 13 [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 Alexander von Fielitz (1860 - 1930), "Was geht das fremde Lied mich an", op. 73 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 1, published 1900 [ voice and piano ], Magdeburg, Heinrichshofen Verlag [sung text not yet checked]
by Paul Hermann Franz Graener (1872 - 1944), "Das fremde Lied", op. 40 (Vier Lieder) no. 3, published 1916 [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2017-01-11
Line count: 12
Word count: 71

Je ne sais pourquoi m'effraie tant

Language: French (Français) after the German (Deutsch)

Je ne sais pourquoi m'effraie tant
Ce qui retentit ce matin dans ma chambre.
Un petit oiseau chanta avant la rosée et le jour,
Avant la rosée et le jour dans la forêt.

Cela aurait aussi pu être un garçon
Qui passait par là,
Un garçon qui partait au loin
Car trompé par sa bien-aimée.

Pourquoi  ce chant étrange me concerne-t-il,
Pour que dans la lueur pâle du matin
Je m'enfonce dans mon oreiller
Et pleure … ?

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of title(s):
"Das fremde Lied" = "Le chant étrange"
"Was geht das fremde Lied mich an" = "Pourquoi ce chant étrange me concerne-t-il"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2019 by Pierre Mathé, (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 German (Deutsch) by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921), "Was geht das fremde Lied mich an", appears in Gedichte, in 3. Nach Jahren, no. 13
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2019-07-29
Line count: 12
Word count: 77