Forest dreams | I lay in the dark forest

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by Ernst Viktor Schellenberg (1827 - 1896), as Ernst Veit

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Waldesträume

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

In dem dunklen Walde lag' ich, 
Mit den zieh'nden Wolken sprach ich, 
Träumt' und träumt’und schaut' empor; 
Gold'ne Sonnenstrahlen webten 
Um die Wipfel Netz' und schwebten 
Zitternd über Gras und Rohr. 

Und des Waldes Blumen nickten 
In dem Morgenwind und blickten 
Schüchtern zu dem Träumer her; 
Kosend flogen Schmetterlinge,
Zogen spielend leichte Ringe 
Um die Blüthen, tropfenschwer. 

Schmetterlinge, fliegt, o flieget! 
Auf der Blumen Kelch euch wieget 
In des Frühlings kurzer Lust! 
Ohne Ende, ohne Schranken 
Füllen selige Gedanken 
Nur die eine Menschenbrust.

Confirmed with Ernst Veit, Kleines Lieder- und Bilderbuch, Dresden: G. Schönfeld's Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1876, page 13.

Text Authorship:

by Ernst Viktor Schellenberg (1827 - 1896), as Ernst Veit, "Waldesträume", appears in Kleines Lieder- und Bilderbuch von Ernst Veit [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 Carl Stör , "Waldesträume", published 1883 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], from Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 1, Leipzig, Sulzer [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Forest dreams", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2022-03-19
Line count: 18
Word count: 83

Forest dreams

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

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I lay in the dark forest,
I spoke to the scudding clouds,
Dreamt and dreamt and gazed upward;
Golden sunbeams wove
Nets about the tree-tops and wafted
Tremblingly above grass and reed.

And the flowers of the forest nodded
In the morning wind and gazed
Shyly over to the dreamer;
Butterflies flew caressingly,
Playfully they traced airy rings
About the blossoms, heavy with droplets.

Butterflies, fly, oh fly!
Rock yourselves upon the flowers' calyces
In the short joy of springtime!
Without end, without confining bars,
Blissful thoughts fill
Only the one human bosom.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2022 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 Ernst Viktor Schellenberg (1827 - 1896), as Ernst Veit, "Waldesträume", appears in Kleines Lieder- und Bilderbuch von Ernst Veit
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2022-03-19
Line count: 18
Word count: 93