The waterlily | Squawking, a heron flies

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by Rudolph Baumbach (1840 - 1905)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Die Wasserrose

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Kreischend in die Höhe fliegt
Aufgeschreckt ein Reiher,
Und vor meinen Füssen liegt
Schilfumsäumt ein Weiher. 

Eine Wasserrose ruht
Schwebend auf den Wogen
Wie ein Stern, der in die Fluth
Sank vom Himmelsbogen. 

Eine Stimme mahnte leis
Mich an's eigne Leben,
Als ich sah der Blüthe weiss
Auf dem Wasser schweben. 
 
Ihre Wurzel kriecht im See
Tief im schwarzen Schlamme,
Doch die Blüthe steigt zur Höh',
Trinkt der Sonne Flamme.

Confirmed with Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, vierte Auflage, Leipzig: A. G. Liebeskind, 1882, page 65.

Text Authorship:

by Rudolph Baumbach (1840 - 1905), "Die Wasserrose", appears in Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen [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 Arno Kleffel (1840 - 1913), "Die Wasserrose", op. 53 (Zehn Gesänge für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte), Heft 2 no. 8, published 1897 [ voice and piano ], Berlin: A. Deneke [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The waterlily", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Melanie Trumbull

This text was added to the website: 2017-09-12
Line count: 16
Word count: 70

The waterlily

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Squawking, a heron flies,
Startled, up into the air,
And before me lies
A pond bordered with reeds.

A waterlily rests
Floating upon the waves
Like a star that sank into
The waters from the arch of heaven.

A voice quietly reminded me
Of my own life,
As I saw the white flower
Floating upon the water.

Its roots in the lake crawl
Deep in the dark mud,
But its flower rises to the heights,
[And] drinks the flame of the sun.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2020 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Rudolph Baumbach (1840 - 1905), "Die Wasserrose", appears in Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2020-09-21
Line count: 16
Word count: 82