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It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

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from Volkslieder (Folksongs)
Translation © by Salvador Pila

Ach Elselein, liebes Elselein mein
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE
Ach Elselein, liebes Elselein mein,
Wie gern wär ich bei dir;
So sind zwei tiefe Wasser,
Wohl zwischen dir und mir.

Willt du dich lassen abwenden drum,
Weil sind der Wasser zwei,
Da doch sonst mancher stolzer Knab
Leidt noch so mancherlei.

Ach Lieb, das schrecket mich allein,
Daß ich nicht fahren kann,
Und wenn dann bräch das Schiffelein,
Müßt ich bald [untergahn]1.

Ach nein, das soll geschehen nit,
Ich selbst helf rudern dir,
Damit du nur in kurzer Zeit,
Herzliebster kommst zu mir.

Weil du's, schöns Lieb, denn meinst so gut,
Will ich's gleich wagen frei,
Allein das bitt' ich fleißig dich,
Steh mir ohn' Falschheit bei.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   J. Brahms 

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Deutsche Volkslieder mit ihren Original-Weisen, ed. by Andreas Kretzschmer, Berlin, Vereins-Buchhandlung, 1838, page 32. The first of three in an unnamed set. The second is here and the third is here.

1 Brahms: "untergehn"

Text Authorship:

  • from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , no title [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 Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Die beiden Königskinder", WoO. 32 no. 15 (1858), published 1926 [ voice and piano ], from Deutsche Volkslieder, no. 15, Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Johann Diebold (1842 - 1929), "Herzliebstes Elselein", op. 32 (Sechs Lieder für vierstimmigen Männerchor) no. 2, published 1890 [ four-part men's chorus a cappella ], Leipzig, Schuberth & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Robert Franz (1815 - 1892), "Ach! Elslein, liebes Elselein mein", published 1875 [ voice and piano ], from Sechs deutsche Lieder aus dem 15 u. 16 Jh, no. 5, Leipzig, Leuckart [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Ferdinand von Hiller (1811 - 1885), "Zwei Wasser", op. 61 (Sechs volkstümliche Lieder für 2 Singstimmen mit Pianoforte (ad lib.), 2tes Heft) no. 4, published 1854 [ vocal duet with piano ], Offenbach, André; note: this may be the wrong text for this title [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Eduard Lassen (1830 - 1904), "Zwei Wasser", published 1904 [ voice and piano ], from Aus des Knaben Wunderhorn : alte Minneweisen und Volkslieder : für eine Singstimme mit Klavierbegleitung bearbeitet von Eduard Lassen, no. 7, note: with many variants not noted [sung text not yet checked]

Set in a modified version by Julius Joseph Maier.

  • Go to the text. [ view differences ]

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Laura Prichard) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Ah Elsa, ma chère Elsa", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 110

Ai Elsa, estimada Elsa meva
Language: Catalan (Català)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Ai Elsa, estimada Elsa meva,
com m’agradaria estar al teu costat;
però hi ha dos profunds espais d’aigua
entre tu i jo.

Vols restar allunyat
perquè hi ha dos espais d’aigua,
quan molts braus minyons
pateixen a causa d’això.

Ai, amor, m’espanta tan sols
que no sé pas navegar,
i si la barqueta es trenqués,
aviat aniria al fons.

Ai no, això no pot pas ocórrer,
jo mateixa t’ajudaria a remar
perquè en el més curt temps possible,
estimat, arribessis al meu costat.

Com que ho creus tan bé, amor meu,
m’arriscaré a fer-ho,
tot el que fervorosament et demano
és que m’ajudis sense defallir. 

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of title(s):
"Ach! Elslein, liebes Elselein mein" = "Ai Elsa, estimada Elsa meva"
"Die beiden Königskinder" = "Els dos fills de rei"
"Herzliebstes Elselein" = "Estimada Elsa del meu cor"
"Zwei Wasser" = "Dos espais d'aigua"


Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2022 by Salvador Pila, (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) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , no title
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2022-02-27
Line count: 20
Word count: 105

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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