English translations of Zwei Gesänge für vierstimmigen Männerchor, opus 7
by (Gustav) Adolf Brandt (1838 - 1919)
Sie haben Tod und Verderben gespien: Wir haben es nicht gelitten. Zwei Kolonnen Fußvolk, zwei Batterien, wir haben sie niedergeritten. Die Säbel geschwungen, die Zäume verhängt, tief die Lanzen und hoch die Fahnen, so haben wir sie zusammengesprengt, - Kürassiere wir und Ulanen. Doch ein Blutritt war es, ein Todesritt; wohl wichen sie unsern Hieben, doch von zwei Regimentern, was ritt und was stritt, unser zweiter Mann ist geblieben. Die Brust durchschossen, die Stirn zerklafft, so lagen sie bleich auf dem Rasen, in der Kraft, in der Jugend dahingerafft, - nun, Trompeter, zum Sammeln geblasen! Und er nahm die Trompet, und er hauchte hinein; da, - die mutig mit schmetterndem Grimme uns geführt in den herrlichen Kampf hinein, der Trompete versagte die Stimme. Nur ein klanglos Wimmern, ein Schrei voll Schmerz, entquoll dem metallenen Munde; eine Kugel hatte durchlöchert ihr Erz, - um die Toten klagte die wunde! Um die Tapfern, die Treuen, die Wacht am Rhein, um die Brüder, die heut gefallen, - um sie alle, es ging uns durch Mark und Bein, erhub sie gebrochenes Lallen. Und nun kam die Nacht, und wir ritten hindann, rundum die Wachtfeuer lohten; die Rosse schnoben, der Regen rann - und wir dachten der Toten, der Toten!
Text Authorship:
- by Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810 - 1876), "Die Trompete von Vionville", written 1870
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Beneath the poem: "(16. August 1870)"They spat death and destruction, We were not about to suffer it. Two columns of foot soldiers, two batteries, We rode over them and trampled them. With swinging sabres, with bridles behung, Deep the lances and high the banners, Thus did we burst upon and scatter them, - Cuirassiers we, and Lancers. But it was bloody ride, a deathly ride; Yes, they retreated from our blows, But of two regiments that rode and fought, Only every second man remained alive. Their breast shot through, their brow hewn open, Thus they lay, pale, upon the grass, Torn away in their strength, in their youth, - Now, trumpeter, sound the rallying call! And he took the trumpet, and he breathed into it; There, - the [trumpet] that with blasting rage Had led us into the glorious fight, The trumpet's voice faltered. Only a toneless whimpering, a cry full of pain, Surged forth from its metallic mouth; A bullet had blown a hole in its brass,- The wounded [trumpet] lamented the dead! [Lamented] the valiant, the true, the watch along the Rhine, The brothers who fell today, - [Lamented] them all, it pierced our very marrow, [The trumpet] took up a broken murmuring. And then came the night and we rode off, Round about the watch fires were glowing; The horses snorted, the rain poured down, And we thought of the dead, the dead.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2011 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810 - 1876), "Die Trompete von Vionville", written 1870
Go to the general single-text view
Translated titles:"Die Trompete von Vionville" = "The trumpet of Vionville"
"Die Trompete von Mars la Tour" = "The trumpet of Mars la Tour"
"Und wir dachten an die Toten" = "And we thought of the dead"
This text was added to the website: 2011-05-01
Line count: 32
Word count: 227
Dulde, gedulde dich fein! Über ein [Stündlein]1 Ist dein Kammer voll Sonne. Über den First, wo die Glocken hangen, Ist schon lange der Schein gegangen, Ging in Thürmers Fenster ein. Wer am nächsten dem Sturm der Glocken, Einsam wohnt er, oft erschrocken, Doch am frühsten tröstet ihn Sonnenschein. Wer in tiefen Gassen gebaut, Hütt' an Hütt'lein [lehnt]2 sich traut, Glocken haben ihn nie erschüttert, [Wetterstrahl ihn nie umzittert]3, Aber spät sein Morgen graut. Höh' und Tiefe hat Lust und Leid. Sag' ihm ab, dem thörigen Neid: Andrer Gram birgt andre Wonne. Dulde, gedulde dich fein! Über ein [Stündlein]1 Ist deine Kammer voll Sonne.
Text Authorship:
- by Paul Heyse (1830 - 1914), "Über ein Stündlein", appears in Gedichte, in Jugendlieder
See other settings of this text.
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Gesammelte Werke von Paul Heyse. Erster Band. Gedichte, Berlin, Verlag von Wilhelm Hertz, 1872, page 1.
Note: in many older editions, the spelling of the capitalized word "über" becomes "Ueber", but this is often due to the printing process and not to rules of orthography, since the lower-case version is not "ueber", so we use "Über".
Note: modern German spelling would change "Thürmers" to "Türmers", "thörigen" to "törigen", etc.
1 Furtwängler, Pfitzner: "Stündelein"2 Furtwängler, Pfitzner: "lehnet"
3 Pfitzner: "Über ihm ist es, wenn es gewittert"
Endure, arm yourself well with patience! In a mere hour Your chamber shall be full of sunshine. Above the roof-ridge, where the bells hang, The radiance has long departed, It went into the window of the tower watchman. He who lives closest to the storm of the bells, He lives in solitude, is often startled, But he is the first to be comforted by sunshine. He who builds [his house] in deep alleys, Where hut leans cosily against hut, Bells have never unsettled him, [Lightning has never quivered about him]1, But his morning dawns late. Height and lowness have joy and sorrow. Reject foolish jealousy: A different affliction conceals within it a different joy. Endure, arm yourself well with patience! In a mere hour Your chamber shall be full of sunshine.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2011 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Paul Heyse (1830 - 1914), "Über ein Stündlein", appears in Gedichte, in Jugendlieder
Go to the general single-text view
View original text (without footnotes)Translated titles
"Über ein Stündlein" = "In a mere hour"
"Dulde, gedulde dich fein" = "Endure, arm yourself well with patience"
"Frühlingshoffen" = "Spring hopes"
"Geduld" = "Patience"
This text was added to the website: 2011-06-01
Line count: 20
Word count: 131