English translations of Sechs Lieder für hohe Stimme mit Pianoforte, opus 45

by Oskar Bolck (1837 - 1888)

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1. An die Todte  [sung text not yet checked]
by Oskar Bolck (1837 - 1888), "An die Todte", op. 45 (Sechs Lieder für hohe Stimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1875 [ high voice and piano ], Leipzig, Siegel
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Ich möchte bitter weinen,
Daß du gestorben bist;   
Und doch will es mir scheinen,
Daß es so besser ist. 

Es wär' dein schöne Glaube
Zerfallen in der Welt,
Gleichwie im Herbst zu Staube  
Des Frühlings Rose fällt. 

Dich hätte jeder Kummer
Leicht wie ein Rohr gebeugt;
Wohl dir in deinem Schlummer,
Wo selbst das Träumen schweigt! 

Von meinem heißen Lieben,
Das nun für ewig dein,
Wär' nur dir übrig blieben
Des Treubruchs Schmerz allein.

Ich möchte bitter weinen,
Daß du gestorben bist;
Und doch will es mir scheinen,
Daß es so besser ist.

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Confirmed with Moritz Hartmann's Gesammelte Werke, erster Band, Stuttgart: J. G. Cotta'schen Buchhandlung, 1874, pages 11 - 12.


by Moritz Hartmann (1821 - 1872)
1.
[Translation not yet available]
2. Wolle keiner mich fragen  [sung text not yet checked]
by Oskar Bolck (1837 - 1888), "Wolle keiner mich fragen", op. 45 (Sechs Lieder für hohe Stimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1875 [ high voice and piano ], Leipzig, Siegel
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Wolle Keiner mich fragen,
Warum mein Herz so schlägt,
Ich kann's nicht fassen, nicht sagen,
Was mich bewegt.

Als wie im Traume schwanken
Trunken die Sinne mir;
Alle meine Gedanken
Sind nur bei dir.

Ich habe die Welt vergessen,
Seit ich dein Auge gesehn;
Ich möchte dich an mich pressen
Und still im Kuß vergehn.

Mein Leben möcht' ich lassen
Um ein Lächeln von dir,
Und du - ich kann's nicht fassen -
Versagst es mir.

Ist's Schicksal, ist's dein Wille?
Du siehst mich nicht. -
Nun wein' ich stille, stille,
Bis [das Herz mir zerbricht]1.

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1 Randhartinger (1869 version): "bricht"; Lessmann, Schnaubelt: "mir das Herz zerbricht"

by Emanuel von Geibel (1815 - 1884)
2. Does nobody want to ask me
Language: English 
Does nobody want to ask me,
Why my heart beats so fast,
I cannot believe it, I cannot tell
What it is that moves me.

My senses alternate
Like drunk dreams;
All my thoughts
Are only concerned with you.

I have forgotten about the world,
Since I saw your eyes;
I want to lean against you
And kiss you silently.

I want to die
For the sake of your smile,
And you – I cannot believe it – 
Reject me.

Is it destiny? Is it your will?
You do not see me.
Now I will cry quietly,
Until my heart breaks.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 by Anja Bunzel, (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.
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This text was added to the website: 2014-07-24
Line count: 20
Word count: 101

Translation © by Anja Bunzel
3. Zwischen Waizen und Korn  [sung text not yet checked]
by Oskar Bolck (1837 - 1888), "Zwischen Waizen und Korn", op. 45 (Sechs Lieder für hohe Stimme mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1875 [ high voice and piano ], Leipzig, Siegel
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Zwischen Weizen und Korn,
Zwischen Hecken und Dorn,
Zwischen Bäumen und Gras,
Wo [gehts]1 Liebchen? 
Sag mir das.

  Fand mein Holdchen 
  Nicht daheim;
  Muß das Goldchen 
  Draußen sein.
  Grünt und blühet 
  Schön der Mai;
  Liebchen ziehet 
  Froh und frei.

An dem Felsen beim Fluß,
Wo sie reichte den Kuß,
Jenen ersten im Gras, 
Seh' ich etwas!
Ist sie das? --2

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Note: The modernized spelling of "Weizen" is "Waizen". See also this placeholder for songs with the title "Mailied" that might or might not refer to this poem.

1 Huberti: "geht das"
2 Several composers (not Huberti, Medtner) add: "Das ist sie, das!"

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
3.
Language: English 
Between wheat and corn,
Between thicket and thorn,
Between trees and grass,
Where has my sweetheart gone? 
Tell me.

  I did not find my darling 
  At home.
  My treasure 
  Must be outside.
  May is blooming 
  Green and fair -
  My love must be wandering, 
  Happy and free.

At the cliffs by the river,
where she bestowed the kiss,
that first one in the grass - 
Do I see something?
Is it she?

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust

    Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:

    Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
    from the LiederNet Archive

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.


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Translations of titles
"Mailied" = "May song"



This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 70

Translation © by Emily Ezust
4. Wehmut  [sung text not yet checked]
by Oskar Bolck (1837 - 1888), "Wehmut", op. 45 (Sechs Lieder für hohe Stimme mit Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1875 [ high voice and piano ], Leipzig, Siegel
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Erwin
 Ihr verblühet, süße Rosen,
 Meine Liebe trug euch nicht;
 Blühet, ach! dem Hoffnungslosen,
 Dem der Gram die Seele bricht!

 [Jener Tage denk' ich  trauernd,
 Als ich, Engel, an dir hing,
 Auf das erste Knöspchen lauernd
 Früh zu meinem Garten ging;]1

 Alle Blüten, alle Früchte
 Noch zu deinen Füßen trug
 Und vor deinem Angesichte
 [Hoffnung in dem]2 Herzen schlug.

 Ihr verblühet, süße Rosen,
 Meine Liebe trug euch nicht;
 Blühtet, ach! dem Hoffnungslosen,
 Dem der Gram die Seele bricht.

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Confirmed with Goethe's Werke nach den vorzüglichsten Quellen revidirte Ausgabe, Dritter Theil, Gedichte, herausgegeben und mit Anmerkungen begleitet von Dr. Fr. Strehlke, Berlin, Gustav Hempel, 1868, pages 74-75. Note: we have corrected the typo in stanza 1, line 3, word 1 : in many early editions, this was "blühtet", but most editions of his works published after 1852 (possibly earlier) indicate this correction, cf. Goethe's Liebe und Liebesgedichte, Berlin, Allgemeine Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1852, page 147.

Note: in Perfall's score, there are two typos: stanza 2, line 4, word 5 is "hin" instead of "ging"; and stanza 3, line 4, word 5 is "trug" instead of "schlug".

1 Hensel: 
 Der auf erste Knöspchen lauernd
 früh zu seinem Garten ging,
 ach der Tage denk ich trauernd,
 als ich Engel an dir hing.
2 Hensel: "Hoffnung mir im"

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
4.
Language: English 
Erwin
 You are wilting, sweet roses -
 my love could not sustain you.
 Bloom for hopelessness then,
 for he whose soul is breaking from sorrow! 

 I think mournfully of those days
 when I hung on you, angel,
 waiting for your first little bud
 and going to my garden early;

 Every blossom, every fruit
 I carried to your feet;
 and before your countenance,
 hope throbbed in my heart.

 You are wilting, sweet roses -
 my love could not sustain you.
 Bloom for hopelessness then,
 for he whose soul is breaking from sorrow!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust

    Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:

    Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
    from the LiederNet Archive

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.


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Translation of title "Zur Rosenzeit" = "To the time of roses"
Translation of Fanny Mendelssohn's closing stanza: 
Bloom for him who waits for your first bud,
going to his garden early;
alas, I think mournfully of those days
when I hung on you, my angel.


This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 17
Word count: 89

Translation © by Emily Ezust
5. Die Zufriedenen  [sung text not yet checked]
by Oskar Bolck (1837 - 1888), "Die Zufriedenen", op. 45 (Sechs Lieder für hohe Stimme mit Pianoforte) no. 5, published 1875 [ high voice and piano ], Leipzig, Siegel
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Ich saß bei jener Linde
Mit meinem trauten Kinde,
Wir saßen Hand in Hand.
Kein Blättchen rauscht' im Winde,
Die Sonne schien gelinde
Herab aufs stille Land.

Wir saßen ganz vershwiegen
Mit innigem Vergnügen,
Das Herz kaum merklich schlug.
Was sollten wir auch sagen?
Was konnten wir uns fragen?
Wir wußten ja genug.

Es mocht uns nichts mehr fehlen,
Kein Sehnen konnt uns quälen,
Nichts Liebes war uns fern.
Aus liebem Aug ein Grüßen,
Vom lieben Mund ein Küssen
Gab eins dem andern gern.

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by Johann Ludwig Uhland (1787 - 1862)
5. The Happy Ones
Language: English 
I sat beside that linden
With my true child,
We sat hand in hand.
Not a leaf rustled in the wind,
The sun shone gently
Down upon the still countryside.

We sat silently
With intimate pleasure,
My heartbeat was barely felt.
What need we say?
What need we ask?
We knew enough.

We lacked for nothing
No longing could shake us,
What was not Love's was far away.
From dear eyes, one greeting,
From dear mouth, one kiss,
Gave one to the other happily.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Lawrence Snyder, (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.
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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 84

Translation © by Lawrence Snyder
6. Die Spröde  [sung text not yet checked]
by Oskar Bolck (1837 - 1888), "Die Spröde", op. 45 (Sechs Lieder für hohe Stimme mit Pianoforte) no. 6, published 1875 [ high voice and piano ], Leipzig, Siegel
Language: German (Deutsch) 
  An dem [reinsten]1 Frühlingsmorgen
Gieng die Schäferin und sang,
Jung und schön und ohne Sorgen,
Daß es durch die Felder [klang]2,
So la la! le ralla.
 
  Thyrsis bot ihr für ein Mäulchen
[Zwei,]3 drei Schäfchen gleich am Ort,
[Schalkhaft blickte sie]4 ein Weilchen;
Doch sie sang und lachte fort,
So la la! le ralla.
 
  Und ein Andrer bot ihr Bänder,
Und der Dritte bot sein Herz;
Doch sie trieb mit Herz und Bändern
So wie mit den Lämmern Scherz,
Nur la la! le ralla.

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Confirmed with Goethes Sämmtliche Werke: Vollständige Ausgabe in zehn Bänden, Erster Band, Stuttgart: Verlag der J.G. Cotta’schen Buchhandlung, 1875, pages 6-7. Note: modernized spelling would change "Gieng" to "Ging".

1 Cimarosa: "schönsten"
2 Cimarosa: "drang"
3 Cimarosa: "Da"
4 Cimarosa: "Sie besann sich nur"

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
6.
Language: English 
  On the [purest]1 of spring mornings
The shepherdess walked along singing,
Young and beautiful and free of care,
[Singing] so that [it rang]2 through the fields,
So la la! le ralla.
 
  Thyrsis offered her for a little kiss
[Two,]3 three little sheep on the spot,
[She looked at him roguishly]4 for a little while;
But she continued to sing and laugh,
So la la! le ralla.
 
  And another chap offered her ribbons,
And a third one offered his heart;
But she made fun of heart and ribbons
As she had with the lambs,
Only la la! le ralla.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 by Sharon Krebs, (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.
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Translated titles:
"Die Spröde" = "The aloof [shepherdess]"
"An dem reinstem Frühlingsmorgen" = "On the purest of spring mornings"
"Die Spröde und die Bekehrte" = "The aloof and the repentant [shepherdess]"

1 Cimarosa: "most beautiful"
2 Cimarosa: "the song penetrated"
3 Cimarosa: "There"
4 Cimarosa: "She only thought about it"


This text was added to the website: 2016-03-30
Line count: 15
Word count: 103

Translation © by Sharon Krebs