English translations of Drei Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, opus 7

by Martha von Wittich (1858 - 1931)

1. Sehnsucht  [sung text not yet checked]
by Martha von Wittich (1858 - 1931), "Sehnsucht", op. 7 (Drei Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 1, published 1900 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Deneke
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Sturm, wer gab dir den Athem?
Welle, wer gab dir Flügel?
Und du Vöglein droben im schimmernden Blau,
Wer rief dich über die Hügel?
                     Ich weiß, ach ich weiß . . .
Es geht eine alte Melodie,
Die war mit der Menschheit geboren,
Jahrtausende starben, sie hat sich nie
Im Lärmen des Tages verloren:
     Sehnsucht, Sehnsucht,
     Treibende Macht!
     Gott, der in Fesseln
     Der Knechtschaft lacht,
     Zagenden heimlich die Schwingen lößt,
     Trunkne hinab in den Abgrund stößt,
     Sonne des Tages,
     Seele der Nacht --
     Sehnsucht, Sehnsucht,
     Treibende Macht!

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Confirmed with Anna Ritter, Gedichte, Neunte Auflage, Stuttgart und Berlin: J.G. Cotta'sche Buchhandlung Nachfolger, 1900, pages 159-160.


by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921)
1. Yearning
Language: English 
Storm, who gave you breath?
Wave, who gave you wings?
And you, little bird, up there in the glimmering blue,
Who called you over the hills?
                               I know, ah, I know...
It is an old melody
That was born with mankind,
Millenia pass, but it has never
Been lost in the noise of the day:
  Yearning, yearning,
  Driving force!
  God, who laughs in the chains
  of bondage,
  apprehensively releases the wings in secret,
  shoving the drunken ones into the abyss;
  Sun of the day,
  Soul of the night.
  Yearning, yearning,
  Driving force!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2015 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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This text was added to the website: 2015-08-18
Line count: 19
Word count: 92

Translation © by Emily Ezust
2. Warnung  [sung text not yet checked]
by Martha von Wittich (1858 - 1931), "Warnung", op. 7 (Drei Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 2, published 1900 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Deneke
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Ich komme heim [aus dem]1 Sonnenland!
Ich bin den ganzen blühenden Tag
In [lauter]2 Schönheit gegangen!
[Nun]3 fliegts mir um Stirn und Wangen,
[Noch wie]4 ein verklärter seliger Schein...
Sieh' mir nicht so in die Augen hinein,
Sonst nimmt er dich auch gefangen;
Dann kommen wir nicht von einander los,
Und schauen uns an, so sehnsuchtsgroß,
[Finden]5 aus lachendem [Märchenglück]6
Nie mehr den Weg [in das]7 Leben zurück.

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Confirmed with Befreiung, Neue Gedichte von Anna Ritter, J.G. Cotta'sche Buchhandlung Nachfolger, Stuttgart, 1900, page 71.

1 Sandberger: "aus" 2 Marx: "bunter"
3 Sandberger: "Noch"
4 Sandberger: "Wie"
5 Sandberger: "Und finden"
6 Sandberger: "Sonnenland"
7 Marx: "ins"

by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921)
2. Warning
Language: English 
I return home from the land of sunshine!
The whole blossoming day
I walked in [utter]1 beauty!
[Now it]2 still flies about my brow and cheeks 
Like a transfigured, blessed radiance . . .
Do not look into my eyes like that,
Otherwise [the radiance] shall ensnare you as well;
Then we shall never be free of one another,
And shall look at each other with such great yearning,
[From]3 the laughing [fairy-tale happiness]4 we shall
Never again find our way back into life.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2023 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 title(s):
"Sonnenland" = "Land of sunshine"
"Warnung" = "Warning"

1 Marx: "colourful"
2 Sandberger: "It"
3 Sandberger: "And from"
4 Sandberger: "land of sunshine"


This text was added to the website: 2023-12-01
Line count: 11
Word count: 88

Translation © by Sharon Krebs
3. Schelmenlied  [sung text not yet checked]
by Martha von Wittich (1858 - 1931), "Schelmenlied", op. 7 (Drei Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 3, published 1900 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Deneke
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Ich lauscht' dem Fink im grünen Haag,
Das hat mich so [bethört]1.
Ach, hätt' ich auf den lust'gen Schlag
Des Kecken nicht [gehört]2!

Er sang so süß von Lieb' und Glück,
Vom Küssen mir ins Ohr --
Vom Scheiden kam im ganzen Stück
Kein Sterbenswörtchen vor.

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Confirmed with Anna Ritter, Gedichte, Neunte Auflage, Stuttgart und Berlin: J.G. Cotta'sche Buchhandlung Nachfolger, 1900, page 123.

1 Graener: "bethöret"
2 Graener: "gehöret"

by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921)
3. Song of the imp
Language: English 
I listened to the finch in the green grove,
It beguiled me so.
Ah, had I only not harkened to
The jolly song of the jaunty one!

Into my ear, it sang so sweetly of love 
And happiness, of kissing --
Of parting there was not a single word
In the entire song.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2023 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.
    Contact: 

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This text was added to the website: 2023-10-17
Line count: 8
Word count: 52

Translation © by Sharon Krebs