What means this tear all-lonely That troubles now my gaze? Of olden times the offspring Still in mine eye it stays. It had its shining sisters, Who all have faded from sight, With all my joys and sorrows, Yea, faded in storm and night. Like clouds have also fleeted The stars so blue and mild, Which into my yearning bosom Those joys and sorrows once smiled. Ah, even my love's devotion Like idle breath did decay; Thou old, old tear all lonely Do thou, too, pass away!
Four songs
Song Cycle by Carl Zerrahn (1826 - 1910)
1. The solitary tear [sung text not yet checked]
Language: English
Text Authorship:
- by Edgar Alfred Bowring (1826 - 1911), no title, appears in The Poems of Heine Complete, first published 1861
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), title 1: "Was will die einsame Träne", title 2: "Was will die einsame Thräne?", appears in Buch der Lieder, in Die Heimkehr, no. 27
Go to the general single-text view
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]1. Die einsame Träne [sung text not yet checked]
Language: German (Deutsch)
Was will die einsame Thräne? Sie trübt mir ja den Blick. Sie blieb aus alten Zeiten In meinem Auge zurück. Sie [hatte]1 viel' leuchtende Schwestern, Die alle zerflossen sind, Mit meinen Qualen und Freuden, Zerflossen in Nacht und Wind. Wie Nebel sind auch zerflossen Die blauen Sternelein, Die mir [jene]2 Freuden und Qualen Gelächelt ins Herz hinein. Ach, meine Liebe selber Zerfloß wie eitel Hauch! Du alte, einsame Thräne, Zerfließe jetzunder auch!
Text Authorship:
- by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), title 1: "Was will die einsame Träne", title 2: "Was will die einsame Thräne?", appears in Buch der Lieder, in Die Heimkehr, no. 27
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Marta Garcia Cadena) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Jos. Van de Vijver) , "Eenzame traan"
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Wat wil het eenzame traantje?", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "What does this solitary tear mean?", copyright ©
- ENG English (Emma Lazarus) , appears in Poems and Ballads of Heinrich Heine, first published 1881
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Que veut cette larme solitaire", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Cosa vuole questa lacrima solitaria?", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Confirmed with Buch der Lieder von Heinrich Heine, Sechsundfünfzigste Auflage (56th edition), Hamburg, Hoffmann und Campe, 1887, page 147. Note: in this edition, the poem is number 29.
Modern German would change "Thräne" to "Träne".
1 Franz: "hat"2 Cornelius: "die"
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Johann Winkler
Total word count: 161