Ophelia-Lieder

Song Cycle by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897)

Translated to:

English — Songs of Ophelia

1. How should I your true love know Sung Text

Note: this is a multi-text setting


How should I your true love know
From another one?
By his cockle hat and staff,
And his sandal shoon.

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, appears in Hamlet [an adaptation]
  • sometimes misattributed to William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

Based on:

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

Note: this is often referred to as the Walsingham Ballad, and is quoted in Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5. Ophelia is singing.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti's poem An old song ended refers to this song.

Quoted in Rhian Samuel's The Gaze.


Researcher for this page: Ted Perry 


He is dead and gone, lady,
He is dead and gone;
At his head a grass green turf,
At his heels a stone.1

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
  • sometimes misattributed to William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

See other settings of this text.

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

View original text (without footnotes)

These words are sung by Ophelia in Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5, but they are probably not by Shakespeare.

Quoted in Rhian Samuel's The Gaze.

1 Rihm adds "Oho! Oho! Nay, but ... mark"

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

1. Wie erkenn' ich dein Treulieb Sung Text

Note: this is a multi-text setting


Wie erkenn' ich dein Treulieb
Vor den andern nun?
An den Muschelhut und Stab.
Und den Sandalschuh'n.

Text Authorship:

Based on:

Based on:

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

  • ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "How will I know your true love", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]


Er ist lange tot und hin,
Tot und hin, Fräulein!
Ihm zu Häupten ein Rasen grün,
Ihm zu Fuß ein Stein.

Text Authorship:

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

2.
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
White his shroud as the mountain snow,
Larded with sweet flowers;
Which bewept to the grave did go
With true-love showers.

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

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

These words are sung by Ophelia in Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5, but they are probably not by Shakespeare.

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]

2.
 (Sung text)

Language: German (Deutsch) 
Sein Leichenhemd weiß wie Schnee zu sehn,
Geziert mit Blumensegen,
Das still betränt zum Grab mußt gehn
Von Liebesregen.

Text Authorship:

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view

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

  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Son linceul que l'on voit blanc comme la neige", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

3.
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
  To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day,
  All in the morning betime,
  And I a maid at your window,
  To be your Valentine.
  Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,
  And dupp'd the chamber-door;
  Let in the maid, that out a maid
  Never departed more.

 ...

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

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

These words are sung by Ophelia in Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5, but they are probably not by Shakespeare.

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]

3.
 (Sung text)

Language: German (Deutsch) 
Auf morgen ist Sankt Valentins Tag,
Wohl an der Zeit noch früh,
Und ich 'ne Maid am Fensterschlag
Will sein eur Valentin. 
Er war bereit, tät an sein Kleid,
Tät auf die Kammertür,
Ließ ein die Maid, die als 'ne Maid 
Ging nimmermehr herfür.

Text Authorship:

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view

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

  • ENG English (Laura Prichard) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

4.
 (Sung text)

Language: German (Deutsch) 
   Sie trugen ihn auf der Bahre bloß,
   Leider, ach leider!
   Und manche Trän' fiel in  Grabes Schoß --
 ... 

Ihr müßt singen: «'Nunter,  ... 
Und ruft ihr ihn 'nunter.»
 ... 

    Denn traut lieb Fränzel ist all meine Lust.

 ...

Text Authorship:

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view

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

  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

5.
 (Sung text)

Language: German (Deutsch) 
 ... 

Und kommt er nicht mehr zurück?
Und kommt er nicht mehr zurück?
Er ist Tot, o weh!
In dein Todesbett geh,
Er kommt ja nimmer zurück.

Sein Bart war so weiß wie Schnee,
Sein Haupt dem Flachse gleich:
Er ist hin, er ist hin,
Und kein Leid bringt Gewinn:
Gott helf' ihm ins Himmelreich!

Text Authorship:

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view

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

  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
Total word count: 413