English translations of Vier Lieder für Mezzo-Sopran, opus 10

by (Franz) Xaver Scharwenka (1850 - 1924)

1. Es muß ein Wunderbares sein  [sung text not yet checked]
by (Franz) Xaver Scharwenka (1850 - 1924), "Es muß ein Wunderbares sein", op. 10 (Vier Lieder für Mezzo-Sopran) no. 1, published 1873 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], Leipzig, Brüssel, London, New York: Breitkopf & Härtel
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Es muß [was]1 Wunderbares sein
Um's Lieben zweier Seelen!
Sich [schließen ganz einander]2 ein,
Sich nie ein Wort verhehlen!

Und Freud' und Leid, und Glück und Noth
So mit einander tragen!
Vom ersten Kuß bis [in]2 den Tod
Sich nur von Liebe sagen!

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Confirmed with Oscar v. Redwitz, Amaranth, Zweite Auflage, Mainz: Verlag von Kirchheim und Schott, 1850, page 117.

1 Karg-Elert, Liszt: "ein"
2 Stöckhardt: "ganz einander schließen"
3 Backer-Grøndahl: "an"

by Oscar von Redwitz-Schmölz (1823 - 1891)
1. It must be a wonderful thing
Language: English 
It must be a wonderful thing
for two souls to be in love,
locking each other in so completely,
never concealing a word;
and joy and grief, and happiness and hardship -
enduring these with each other
from the first kiss until death,
speaking together only with love.

Text Authorship:

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


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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 47

Translation © by Emily Ezust
2. Mädchenlied  [sung text not yet checked]
by (Franz) Xaver Scharwenka (1850 - 1924), "Mädchenlied", op. 10 (Vier Lieder für Mezzo-Sopran) no. 2, published 1873 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], Leipzig, Brüssel, London, New York: Breitkopf & Härtel
Language: German (Deutsch) 
[O]1 Blätter, dürre Blätter!
[Wie]2 trauert ihr so sehr!
Als ihr noch gabet grünen Schein —
Da war mein lieber Schatz noch mein,
Den hab' ich nimmermehr.

O Blätter, dürre Blätter!
[Ihr]3 habt ihn oft gesehn,
[Wie]4 er [mir Treu geschworen]5 hat —
Ach! kann [denn]6 Liebe wie ein Blatt
In einem Jahr vergehn?

O Blätter, dürre Blätter!
[Es]7 war ein falscher Knab'.
Euch klag' ich es, ihr schweiget still —
Wie lieb ich ihn noch hab'.

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Confirmed with Gedichte von Ludwig Pfau. Dritte Auflage und Gesammtausgabe., Stuttgart, G. J. Göschen'sche Verlagshandlung, 1874, page 116.

1 Stiehl: "Ihr"; Worms: "Ach" - further changes for both may exist not noted.
2 Hölzel: "Ach wie"
3 Hölzel: "Ach ihr"
4 Zemlinsky: "Wann"
5 Hiller, Hölzel: "so heiss geküsst mich"; Zemlinsky: "mir Treu versprochen"
6 Zemlinsky: "die"
7 Hölzel: "Ach es"

by (Karl) Ludwig Pfau (1821 - 1894)
2. O leaves, withered leaves
Language: English 
 O leaves, withered leaves!
 How very mournful you are!
 When you still had a green gleam,
 my dear treasure still was mine -
 he whom I have no longer.
 
 O leaves, withered leaves!
 You had seen him so often,
 when he promised to be true -
 alas! can Love, like a leaf,
 pass away in only one year?
 
 O leaves, withered leaves!
 He was a false boy;
 If I lament to you, you will keep silent,
 for I will tell no one else
 how much I love him still.

Text Authorship:

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


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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 15
Word count: 88

Translation © by Emily Ezust
3. Liebes‑Hoffnung  [sung text not yet checked]
by (Franz) Xaver Scharwenka (1850 - 1924), "Liebes-Hoffnung", op. 10 (Vier Lieder für Mezzo-Sopran) no. 3, published 1873 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], Leipzig, Brüssel, London, New York: Breitkopf & Härtel
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Ich thöricht Kind
Ich liebe Dich,
Und weiß doch nimmer: 
Liebst Du auch mich? 
  Ich fragte die Blumen 
  Groß und klein;
  Ach leider die meisten 
  [Sie]1 sagten Nein. -- 
  Die dummen Blumen
  Sie wissen nicht 
Was es heißt, was es heißt: "Er liebt [mich]2 nicht." 

Ich thöricht Kind 
Ich liebe Dich,
Und wähne immer:
Du liebst auch mich.
  Ich fragte mein Herze: 
  "Was meinest Du?"
  Das rief mir freudig
  "Er liebt Dich" zu.
  O du mein Herze
Weißt sicherlich,
Was es heißt, was es heißt: "Er liebet mich."

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1 Gumbert: "Die"
2 Gumbert: "dich"

by Robert Reinick (1805 - 1852)
3.
Language: English 
I foolish child
I love you,
And yet I never know:
Do you also love me?
I asked the flowers
Large and small;
Ah, sadly, most of them
Said No. –
The stupid flowers – 
They don’t know
What it means, what it means: “He loves me not.”

I foolish child, 
I love you,
And always have imagined:
You love me too.
I asked my heart:
“What do you think?
It called to me joyfully
“He loves you.”
Oh you, my heart,
Surely know,
What it means, what it means: “He loves me.”

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2022 by Michael P Rosewall, (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.


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This text was added to the website: 2022-08-26
Line count: 22
Word count: 93

Translation © by Michael P Rosewall
4. Winterlied  [sung text not yet checked]
by (Franz) Xaver Scharwenka (1850 - 1924), "Winterlied", op. 10 (Vier Lieder für Mezzo-Sopran) no. 4, published 1873 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], Leipzig, Brüssel, London, New York: Breitkopf & Härtel
Language: German (Deutsch) 
  Mir träumt', ich ruhte wieder
Vor meines Vaters Haus
Und schaute fröhlich nieder
Ins alte Thal hinaus,
Die Luft mit lindem Spielen
Ging durch das Frühlingslaub,
Und Blütenflocken fielen
Mir über Brust und Haupt.

  Als ich erwacht, da schimmert
Der Mond vom Waldesrand,
Im falben Scheine flimmert
Um mich ein fremdes Land,
Und wie ich ringsher sehe:
Die Flocken waren Eis,
Die Gegend war vom Schnee,
Mein Haar vom Alter weiß.

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Confirmed with Joseph Freiherrn von Eichedorffs sämtliche poetische Werke, Dritte Auflage, Erster Band. Gedichte, Leipzig: C.F. Amelang’s Verlag, 1883, page 239.


by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857)
4.
Language: English 
  I dreamt, I rested once again
In front of my father’s house
And gazed happily down
Into the old valley.
With a gentle playing the breeze
Wafted through the spring greenery,
And blossom petals fell down like snowflakes
Upon my breast and head.

  When I awoke, the moon
Was shimmering along the rim of the forest,
In the pale light there flickered
About me a foreign land,
And I see about me:
The flakes were of ice,
The countryside was of snow,
My hair was white with age.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 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.


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English song title (Ashton, Behr, Dorn, Loser, Pezold, Scharf, Scharwenka, Strauss): Winter song
English song title (Heiser): I dreamt, I rested once again
English song title (Kont): Lingering sounds

This text was added to the website: 2014-08-20
Line count: 16
Word count: 89

Translation © by Sharon Krebs