Sechs Gesänge , opus 11

by Berthold Damcke (1812 - 1875)

Translations available for the entire opus: CAT ENG FRE 

2. Der alte König  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: German (Deutsch) 
Es war ein alter König,
sein Herz war schwer, sein [Haupt]1 war grau;
der arme alte König,
er nahm eine junge Frau.

Es war ein [schöner]2 Page,
blond war sein [Haupt]3, leicht war sein Sinn;
er trug die [seid'ne]4 Schleppe
der jungen Königin.

Kennst du das alte Liedchen?
Es klingt so süß, es klingt so trüb!
Sie mußten beide sterben,
sie hatten sich viel zu lieb.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "There was an old king", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Il était un vieux roi", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Joost van der Linden) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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Confirmed with Neue Gedichte von H. Heine, Zweite Auflage, Hamburg, bei Hoffmann und Campe, 1844, page 28.

1 Diepenbrock: "Haar"
2 Schnorr von Carolsfeld, Zemlinsky: "junger"
3 Wolfrum: "Haar"
4 Goldschmidt: "seidene"

3. Das Abbild  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: German (Deutsch) 
Wie des Mondes Abbild zittert
In den wilden Meereswogen,
Und er selber still und sicher
Wandelt an dem Himmelsbogen:

Also wandelst du, Geliebte,
Still und sicher, und es zittert
Nur dein Abbild mir im Herzen,
Weil mein eig'nes Herz erschüttert.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Just as the moon's reflection trembles", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Comme le reflet de la lune tremble", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Confirmed with Neue Gedichte von Heinrich Heine, Zehnte Auflage, Hamburg, Hoffmann und Campe, 1871, page 29.

Note: Moór's setting has a typo in the score in stanza 2, line 3, word 1 ("mir")


4. Wanderers Nachtlied  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: German (Deutsch) 
Der du [von dem Himmel]1 bist,
[Alles Leid]2 und Schmerzen [stillest]3,
Den, der doppelt elend ist,
Doppelt mit [Erquickung füllest]4,
Ach ich bin des Treibens müde!
[Was soll all der Schmerz und Lust?]5
Süßer Friede,
Komm, ach komm in meine Brust!

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

  • AFR Afrikaans [singable] (Robert Schall) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • CHI Chinese (中文) [singable] (Dr Huaixing Wang) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Trekkers nachtlied", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Wanderer's night song", copyright ©
  • ENG English (Edgar Alfred Bowring) , "The wanderer's night-song", appears in The Poems of Goethe, first published 1853
  • ENG English [singable] (Charles Fonteyn Manney) , "O thou who from heaven art", first published 1911
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le chant de nuit du voyageur I", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRL Friulian (Ermes Culos) , "Tu ch'i ti vèns dal paradìs", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GRE Greek (Ελληνικά) [singable] (Christakis Poumbouris) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • HUN Hungarian (Magyar) (Tamás Rédey) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Canto notturno del viandante II", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Lewis Grenville) , "La cancion nocturna del caminante", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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Confirmed with Goethe’s Werke. Vollständige Ausgabe letzter Hand. Erster Band. Stuttgart und Tübingen, in der J.G. Cotta'schen Buchhandlung. 1827, page 109.

First published in Christliches Magazin Herausgegeben von Joh. Konrad Pfenninger, Dritter Band, 1780, page 243, with the musical setting by Ph. Ch. Kayser.

Notes
Line 1: Backer-Grøndahl’s score has a comma after the first word (likely a typo)
Line 8: Backer-Grøndahl's score has a typo in word 5 ("meiner" instead of "meine")

1 Kirchner: "von den Himmeln"; Hiller, Milcke: "vom Himmel" (further changes may exist not shown above)
2 Rust: "Kummer, Leid"
3 Schubert: "stillst"
4 Schubert: "Entzückung füllst"
5 Rust: "Bangen Schmerzes, wilder Lust,"; Arnim and J. Marx: "Was soll all der Schmerz, die Lust?"