English translations of Drei Lieder, opus 16

by Ján Móry (1892 - 1978)

1. Aufblick
 (Sung text)
by Ján Móry (1892 - 1978), "Aufblick", op. 16 (Drei Lieder) no. 1 [ voice and piano ], Berlin: Verlag von Ries & Erler
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Über unsre Liebe hängt
eine tiefe Trauerweide.
Nacht und Schatten um uns beide;
unsre Stirnen sind gesenkt.

Wortlos sitzen wir im Dunkeln;
einstmals rauschte hier ein Strom,
einstmalssahn wir Sterne funkeln.

Ist denn Alles tot und trübe?
Horch: ein ferner Mund! vom Dom!

Glockenchöre... Nacht ... und Liebe...

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by Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel (1863 - 1920)
1. Prospect from above
Language: English 
Above our love 
A weeping willow bends deeply. 
Night and shadows surround us both;
Our brows lowered.

Wordlessly we sit in the darkness.
Once a stream gushed here,
Once we saw the flicker of stars. 

Is then everything dead and dismal?
Hark: -- a distant voice -- from the cathedral:

Choirs of bells … night … and love …

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2015 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. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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This text was added to the website: 2015-08-24
Line count: 10
Word count: 57

Translation © by Michael P Rosewall
2. An die Ersehnte
 (Sung text)
by Ján Móry (1892 - 1978), "An die Ersehnte", op. 16 (Drei Lieder) no. 2 [ voice and piano ], Berlin: Verlag von Ries & Erler
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Ich habe dich Gerte getauft, weil du so schlank bist
und weil mich Gott mit dir züchtigen will,
und weil eine Sehnsucht in deinem Gang ist
wie in schmächtigen Pappeln im April.

Ich kenne dich nicht - aber eines Tages
wirst du im Sturm an meine Türe klopfen,
und ich werde öffnen auf dies Klopfen,
und meine zuchtlose Brust wird gleichen Schlages
an Deine zuchtlosen Brüste klopfen.

Denn ich kenne dich - deine Augen glänzen wie Knospen,
und du willst blühen, blühen, blühen!
und deine jungen Gedanken sprühen
wie gepeitschte Sträucher an Sturzbächen;
und du möchtest wie ich den Stürmen Gottes trotzen
oder zerbrechen!

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by Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel (1863 - 1920)
2. To the yearned-for one
Language: English 
I have christened you Switch, because you are so slender
and because God wishes to chastise me with you,
and because there is a yearning in your walk
as in delicate poplars in April.

I do not know you -- but someday
you shall knock at my door during a storm,
and I shall open to this knocking,
and with the same beat my dissolute breast
shall knock upon your [dissolute breasts]1.

For I know you -- your eyes gleam like buds,
and you wish to blossom, blossom, blossom!
and your young thoughts spark forth
like whipped shrubs at the plunging brooks;
and, like me, you wish to defy the storms of God
or break into pieces!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2025 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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1 Morý: "breasts"


This text was added to the website: 2025-01-02
Line count: 15
Word count: 115

Translation © by Sharon Krebs
3. Wellentanzlied
 (Sung text)
by Ján Móry (1892 - 1978), "Wellentanzlied", op. 16 (Drei Lieder) no. 3 [ voice and piano ], Berlin: Verlag von Ries & Erler
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Ich warf eine Rose ins Meer,
eine blühende Rose ins grüne Meer.
Und weil die Sonne schien, Sonne schien,
sprang das Licht hinterher,
mit hundert zitternden Zehen hinterher.
Als die erste Welle kam,
wollte die Rose, meine Rose ertrinken.
Als die zweite sie sanft auf ihre Schultern nahm,
mußte das Licht, das Licht ihr zu Füßen sinken.
Da faßte die dritte sie am Saum,
und das Licht sprang hoch, zitternd hoch, wie zur Wehr;
aber hundert tanzende Blütenblätter
wiegten sich rot, rot, rot um mich her,
und es tanzte mein Boot,
und mein Schatten auf dem Schaum,
und das grüne Meer, das Meer - -

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by Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel (1863 - 1920)
3. The waves' dancing song
Language: English 
I threw a rose into the sea,
a blooming rose into the green sea.
And because the sun shone, [sun]1 shone,
The light leapt after it,
after it with a [hundred]2 trembling toes.
As the first wave came,
the rose, my rose was about to drown.
As the second [wave] gently took it upon its shoulders,
the light, the light was forced to sink down at [my rose's] feet.
Thereupon the third one caught it at its edge,
and the light sprang up, tremblingly up, as if in defense;
but a hundred dancing blossom-petals
swayed red, red, red about me
and my boat danced,
and my shadow upon the foam
and the green sea, [the sea]3 - -

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2025 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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Translations of titles:
"Tanzlied" = "Dancing song"
"Wellentanzlied" = "The waves' dancing song"

1 Geutebrück, Morý: "the sun"
2 Morý: "thousand"
3 Geutebrück: "sea"


This text was added to the website: 2025-01-02
Line count: 16
Word count: 117

Translation © by Sharon Krebs