by Hans Bethge (1876 - 1946)
Translation Singable translation by Friedrich Karl Grimm (b. 1902)
Mein Schiff treibt durch das Wasser...
Language: German (Deutsch) after the Chinese (中文)
Mein Schiff treibt durch das Wasser leicht dahin, -- Ich seh sein Speigelbild auf klarer [Flut]1. Am Himmel gehn die Wolken, stumme Wandrer, Und auch den Himmel seh ich in der Flut. Wenn eine Wolke an dem [blauen]2 Monde Vorübergleitet, fein wie ein Gedanke, So seh ich, wie sie unter mir verschwebt, Ein Märchenbild... Mir ist, mein Schiff zieht selig durch den Himmel, Ich fühle mich den Wolken nah' verwandt, Und plötzlich weiß ich: Wie der Himmel sich In diesem Wasser spiegelt, also blüht Das Bild meiner Geliebten mir im Herzen.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Hans Bethge, Die chinesische Flöte, Insel Verlag, 1918, page 44.
1 Grimm, Provaznik: "See"2 omitted by Frumerie, Grimm, and Provaznik
Text Authorship:
- by Hans Bethge (1876 - 1946), "Auf dem Flusse", appears in Die chinesische Flöte [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Chinese (中文) by Tu Fu (712 - 770), "舟泛洞庭"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Hans Altmann (1904 - 1961), "Auf dem Flusse", op. 24 no. 4, published c1963 [ voice and piano ], from 7 Lieder aus Die chinesische Flöte, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gunnar de Frumerie (1908 - 1987), "Auf dem Flusse", 1929 [ voice and piano ], from Fyra kinesiska poem = Four Chinese Poems, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Friedrich Karl Grimm (b. 1902), "Auf dem Fluße", op. 67 no. 2, published 1956 [ voice and piano ], from Lieder der Empfindsamkeit, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Walter Jentsch (1900 - 1979), "Auf dem Flusse", op. 2 (Vier Lieder) no. 4, published 1937 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Ries & Erler [sung text not yet checked]
- by Krzysztof Penderecki (1933 - 2020), "Auf dem Flüsse", copyright © 2018 [ baritone and orchestra ], from symphony Chinesische Lieder, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Anatol Provaznik (1887 - 1950), "Auf dem Flusse", op. 132 no. 2, published 1925, from Chinesische Flöte Lieder, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Felix Paul Weingartner (1863 - 1942), "Auf dem Flusse", op. 63 no. 4, published 1917 [ duet for soprano and tenor with piano ], from Blüten aus dem Osten, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (L. Horáková)
- ENG English [singable] (Friedrich Karl Grimm) , "On the river"
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-09-02
Line count: 13
Word count: 93
On the river
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
My ship drives through the wave so easily. I see it like a mirror on the sea. And clouds move on the heaven silent greeting And in the flood I like to see the sky. And when the day ends and the clouds pass The gliding moonlight, fine, quick as my thoughts are, So feel I that these clouds are lovely veils . . . A fairytale! I think my ship moves blissful up to the heaven! And stars and clouds they send their light to me, And I am thinking: As the water is the mirror of the clouds, So I see the face Of my sweet Mistress deep in my feeling heart!
From the Grimm score.
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
Text Authorship:
- Singable translation by Friedrich Karl Grimm (b. 1902), "On the river" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Hans Bethge (1876 - 1946), "Auf dem Flusse", appears in Die chinesische Flöte
Based on:
- a text in Chinese (中文) by Tu Fu (712 - 770), "舟泛洞庭"
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: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-09-02
Line count: 14
Word count: 114