English translations of 4 Lieder, opus 2

by Arnold Franz Walter Schoenberg (1874 - 1951)

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1. Erwartung
 (Sung text)
by Arnold Franz Walter Schoenberg (1874 - 1951), "Erwartung", op. 2 (4 Lieder) no. 1 (1899)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Aus dem meergrünen Teiche
Neben der roten Villa
Unter der toten Eiche
Scheint der Mond.

Wo ihr dunkles Abbild
Durch das Wasser greift,
Steht ein Mann und streift
Einen Ring von seiner Hand.

Drei Opale blinken;
Durch die bleichen Steine
Schwimmen rot und grüne
Funken und versinken.

Und er küßt sie, und
Seine Augen leuchten
Wie der meergrüne Grund:
Ein Fenster tut sich auf.

Aus der roten Villa
Neben der toten Eiche
Winkt ihm eine bleiche
Frauenhand.

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by Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel (1863 - 1920)
1. Anticipation
Language: English 
The sea green pond,
beside the red villa
beneath the dead oak,
reflects the shining moon.

Where the oak's dark reflection
reaches through the water,
there is a man and slips
a ring off his hand.

Three opals glint;
red and green gleams
from the pale gems
and submerges.

And he kisses the gems, and
his eyes shine
like the sea green bottom:
a window opens.

A woman's pale hand
beckons him
from the red villa
beside the dead oak.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2007 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.

    Bertram Kottmann.  Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de

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This text was added to the website: 2007-02-02
Line count: 20
Word count: 80

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
2. Schenk mir deinen goldenen Kamm
 (Sung text)
by Arnold Franz Walter Schoenberg (1874 - 1951), "Schenk mir deinen goldenen Kamm", alternate title: "Jesus bettelt", op. 2 (4 Lieder) no. 2 (1899)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Schenk mir deinen goldenen Kamm;
Jeder Morgen soll dich mahnen,
Daß du mir die Haare küßtest.
Schenk mir deinen seidenen Schwamm;
Jeden Abend will ich ahnen,
Wem du dich im Bade rüstest,
O Maria!

Schenk mir Alles, was du hast;
Meine Seele ist nicht eitel,
Stolz empfang ich deinen Segen.
Schenk mir deine schwerste Last:
Willst du nicht auf meinen Scheitel
Auch dein Herz, dein Herz noch legen,
Magdalena?

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by Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel (1863 - 1920)
2. Present me with your golden comb
Language: English 
Present me with your golden comb;
every morning shall remind you
that you kissed my hair.
Present me with your silken sponge;
every night I want to have an idea
for whom you prepare yourself in the bath,
O Mary!

Present me with everything you have;
my soul is without vanity,
I receive your blessing with pride.
Bestow on me your heaviest burden:
don't you want to lay your heart -
also your heart - on my locks,
Magdalen?

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2007 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.

    Bertram Kottmann.  Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de

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This text was added to the website: 2007-01-31
Line count: 14
Word count: 77

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
3. Erhebung
 (Sung text)
by Arnold Franz Walter Schoenberg (1874 - 1951), "Erhebung", op. 2 (4 Lieder) no. 3 (1899)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Gib mir deine Hand,
  nur den Finger, dann
seh ich diesen ganzen Erdkreis
  als mein Eigen an!

O wie blüht mein Land,
  sieh dir's doch nur an,
daß es mit uns über die Wolken
  in die Sonne kann!

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by Richard Fedor Leopold Dehmel (1863 - 1920)
3. Elevation
Language: English 
Proffer me your hand,
merely the finger, then
I look upon the whole world
as my own.

O, how my country is full of flowers,
behold it and see
that it can rise with us above the clouds
to the sun!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2007 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.

    Bertram Kottmann.  Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de

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Based on:

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Note: this is a translation of Schoenberg's version.



This text was added to the website: 2007-02-01
Line count: 8
Word count: 41

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
4. Waldsonne
 (Sung text)
by Arnold Franz Walter Schoenberg (1874 - 1951), "Waldsonne", op. 2 (4 Lieder) no. 4 (1899)
Language: German (Deutsch) 
In die braunen, rauschenden Nächte
Flittert ein Licht herein,
Grüngolden ein Schein.

Blumen blinken auf und Gräser
Und die singenden, springenden Waldwässerlein,
Und Erinnerungen.

Die längst verklungenen:
Golden erwachen sie wieder,
All deine fröhlichen Lieder.

Und ich sehe deine goldenen Haare glänzen,
Und ich sehe deine goldenen Augen glänzen
Aus den grünen, raunenden Nächten.

Und mir ist, ich läge neben dir auf dem Rasen
Und hörte dich wieder auf der glitzeblanken Syrinx
In die blauen Himmelslüfte blasen.

In die braunen, wühlenden Nächte
Flittert ein Licht,
Ein goldener Schein.

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by Johannes Schlaf (1862 - 1941)
4. Sun in the forest
Language: English 
A light shimmers 
in the brown, rushing night,
a green-golden sheen.

Flowers shine forth and grass
and the singing, springing rivulets 
and memories.

All your songs of joy 
that faded away long ago:
golden is their awakening again.

And I see your lustrous golden hair,
and I see your bright golden eyes
shining through the green, whispering nights.

And I fancy I lie on the grass beside you
and hear you playing the shiny syrinx again
under azure skies.

A light shimmers 
in the brown, rolling nights --
a golden sheen.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2007 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.

    Bertram Kottmann.  Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de

    If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact:

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2007-02-01
Line count: 18
Word count: 90

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann