English translations of Drei Lieder, opus 58

by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828)

1. Hektors Abschied
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Hektors Abschied", op. 58 (Drei Lieder) no. 1, D 312 (1815), published 1826
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Andromache
 Will sich Hektor ewig von mir wenden,
 Wo Achill mit unnahbaren Händen
 Dem Patroklus schrecklich Opfer bringt?
 Wer wird künftig deinen Kleinen lehren
 Speere werfen und die Götter ehren,
 Wenn der finstre Orkus dich verschlingt? 

Hektor
 Theures Weib gebiete deinen Thränen,
 Nach der Feldschlacht ist mein feurig Sehnen,
 Diese Arme schützen Pergamos.
 Kämpfend für den heil'gen Herd der Götter
 Fall ich, und des Vaterlandes Retter
 Steig' ich nieder zu dem styg'schen Fluß.

Andromache
 Nimmer lausch' ich deiner Waffen Schalle,
 Müßig liegt das Eisen in der Halle,
 Priams großer Heldenstamm verdirbt.
 Du wirst hingeh'n wo kein Tag mehr scheinet,
 Der Cocytus durch die Wüsten weinet,
 Deine Lieb' im Lethe stirbt.

Hektor
 All mein Sehnen will ich, all mein Denken,
 In des Lethes stillen Strom versenken,
 Aber meine Liebe nicht.
 Horch! der Wilde tobt schon an den Mauern,
 Gürte mir das Schwerdt um, laß das Trauern,
 Hektors Liebe stirbt im Lethe nicht.

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First published in a different version in "Die Räuber", act 2, scene 2 (see below).

by Friedrich von Schiller (1759 - 1805)
1. Hector's leave-taking
Language: English 
Andromache:
 Will Hector tear himself from me forever
 while Achilles haughty-handedly is making
 dire death-offerings for Patroclus?
 Who in days to come will teach your son
 to throw the spear and pay the gods due honor
 if you are entombed in black Hades?

Hector:
 Dear wife, hold back your tears.
 My fervent longing is for battle,
 to protect Troy with these arms.
 If I die fighting for the gods' sacred hearth,
 I shall descend to the Stygian river
 as savior of our fatherland.
 
Andromache:
 Never again will I hear your weapons' clangor;
 your sword will lie rusting in the hall.
 Priam's great heroic race will fall in ruin.
 You will have gone where daylight shines no more,
 where Cocytus wanders the desert wailing;
 your love will die in Lethe's stream.

Hector:
 I may let all my longing, all my thoughts,
 be drowned in Lethe's silent flood,
 but not my love.
 Listen! the mob by the walls rages in frenzy.
 Fasten my sword on for me, end your mourning;
 Hector's love in Lethe will not die.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2012 by T. P. (Peter) Perrin, (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: 2012-04-04
Line count: 28
Word count: 171

Translation © by T. P. (Peter) Perrin
2. An Emma
 (Sung text)
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "An Emma", op. 58 (Drei Lieder) no. 2, D 113 (1814), published 1821
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Weit in nebelgrauer Ferne
Liegt mir das vergang'ne Glück,
Nur an Einem schönen Sterne
Weilt mit Liebe noch der Blick,
Aber wie des Sternes Pracht
Ist es nur ein Schein der Nacht.

Deckte dir der lange Schlummer,
Dir der Tod die Augen zu,
Dich besäße doch mein Kummer,
Meinem Herzen lebtest du.
Aber ach! du lebst im Licht,
Meiner Liebe lebst du nicht.

Kann der Liebe süß Verlangen,
Emma, kann's vergänglich seyn?
Was dahin ist und vergangen,
Emma, kann's die Liebe seyn?
Ihrer Flamme Himmelsglut,
Stirbt sie, wie ein irdisch Gut?

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by Friedrich von Schiller (1759 - 1805)
2. To Emma
Language: English 
 Far in the misty grey distance
 lies my former luck;
 only on one fair star
 does my glance linger with love.
 But, like the splendor of a star,
 it is only the gleam of the night.
 
 Even when long sleep covered you
 and death closed your eyes,
 my woe still kept you alive,
 and you lived in my heart.
 But alas! you live in light,
 and you live no longer for my love.
 
 Can the sweet yearning of love,
 Emma, can it be ephemeral?
 What is gone and past,
 Emma, can it really be Love?
 Heavenly, glowing flame -
 does it die like an earthly thing?

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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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 105

Translation © by Emily Ezust
3. Des Mädchens Klage
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Des Mädchens Klage", op. 58 (Drei Lieder) no. 3, D 191 (1815), published 1826 [ voice and piano ], second setting
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Der Eichwald braust,
Die Wolken ziehen,
Das Mägdlein sitzt
An Ufers Grün,
Es bricht sich die Welle mit Macht, mit Macht,
Und sie seufzt hinaus in die finstre Nacht,
Das Auge vom Weinen getrübt.

"Das Herz ist gestorben,
Die Welt ist leer,
Und weiter giebt sie
Dem Wunsche nichts mehr.
Du Heilige ruf' dein Kind zurück,
Ich habe genossen das irdische Glück,
Ich habe gelebt und geliebet!"

Es rinnet der Thränen
Vergeblicher Lauf,
Die Klage sie wecket
Die Todten nicht auf,
Doch nenne, was tröstet und heilet die Brust
Nach der süßen Liebe verschwund'ner Lust,
Ich, die himmlische, wills nicht versagen.

"Laß rinnen der Thränen
Vergeblichen Lauf,
Es braust die Klage
Den Todten nicht auf,
Das süßeste Glück für die trauernde Brust,
Nach der schönen Liebe verschwund'ner Lust,
Sind der Liebe Schmerzen und Klagen.

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First published 1799 in Schiller's Musen-Almanach, and later, only stanzas 1-2 (with slight textual modifications and a different line break), in Die Piccolomini, act 3, scene 7 (Thekla's song).

by Friedrich von Schiller (1759 - 1805)
3. The oaks roar, the clouds rush by
Language: English 
The clouds rush by, the oaks roar,
The maiden rests on the green by the shore
as wave breaks with force, with force
And she sighs into the gloomy night.
eyes blurred with tears.

"My heart has died, the world is empty,
no wishes left to me in this life,
oh, gods take your child back,
I have relished earthly bliss,
I have lived and loved."

The tears run down to no end,
Mourning will not bring back the dead,
Tell me what eases the ache
For sweet love's lost passion.
I, the heavenly, will not deny it.

Let flow the fruitless tears,
The lament will not wake the dead!
The sweetest joy for the soul mourning
For sweet love's lost passion,
Are love's sorrow and lament.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2005 by Linda Godry, (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: 2005-09-05
Line count: 20
Word count: 127

Translation © by Linda Godry