English translations of Vier Lieder nach Eduard Mörike, opus 356

by Klaus Miehling (b. 1963)

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1. Er ist's!  [sung text not yet checked]
by Klaus Miehling (b. 1963), "Er ist's!", op. 356 (Vier Lieder nach Eduard Mörike) no. 1 (2023) [ voice and piano ]
Language: German (Deutsch) 
[Frühling]1 läßt sein blaues Band
Wieder flattern durch die Lüfte;
Süße, wohlbekannte Düfte
Streifen ahnungsvoll das Land.
Veilchen träumen schon,
Wollen balde kommen.
-- Horch, [von fern ein leiser]2 Harfenton!
Frühling, ja du bist's!
Dich hab' ich vernommen!

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Confirmed with Eduard Mörike, Gedichte, Dramatisches, Erzählendes, Zweite, erweiterte Auflage, Stuttgart: J.G. Cotta'sche Buchhandlung Nachf., 1961, page 42.

1 Eitner: "Der Frühling"; further changes may exist not shown above.
2 Louis Ferdinand: "von fern her leiser"; Schumann: "ein"

by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875)
1.
Language: English 
Spring lets its blue ribbon
flutter again in the breeze;
a sweet, familiar scent
sweeps with promise through the land.
Violets are already dreaming,
and will soon arrive.
Hark! In the distance - a soft harp tone!
Spring, yes it is you!
It is you that I have heard!

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: 9
Word count: 48

Translation © by Emily Ezust
2. Karwoche  [sung text not yet checked]
by Klaus Miehling (b. 1963), "Karwoche", op. 356 (Vier Lieder nach Eduard Mörike) no. 2 (2023) [ voice and piano ]
Language: German (Deutsch) 
O Woche, Zeugin heiliger Beschwerde!
Du stimmst so ernst zu dieser Frühlingswonne,
Du breitest im verjüngten Strahl der Sonne
Des Kreuzes Schatten auf die lichte Erde,

Und senkest schweigend deine Flöre nieder;
Der Frühling darf indessen immer keimen,
Das Veilchen duftet unter Blütenbäumen
Und alle Vöglein singen Jubellieder.

O schweigt, ihr Vöglein auf den grünen Auen!
Es hallen rings die dumpfen Glockenklänge,
Die Engel singen leise Grabgesänge;
O still, ihr Vöglein hoch im Himmelblauen!

Ihr Veilchen, kränzt heut keine Lockenhaare!
Euch pflückt mein frommes Kind zum dunklen Strausse,
Ihr wandert mit zum Muttergotteshause, 
Da sollt ihr welken auf des Herrn Altare.

Ach dort, von Trauermelodieen trunken,
Und süß betäubt von schweren Weihrauchdüften,
Sucht sie den Bräutigam in Todesgrüften,
Und Lieb' und Frühling, Alles ist versunken!

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Confirmed with Mörike, Eduard, Werke, Herausgegeben von Hannsludwig Geiger, Sonderausgabe der Tempel-Klassiker, Emil Vollmer Verlag, Wiesbaden, p. 85.


by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875)
2. Holy week
Language: English 
Oh week, witness of the holy passion!
You sound so serious in the joy of this spring,
into the renewed rays of the sun you spread
the shadow of the cross over the illuminated earth

and silently lay down your veil;
meanwhile spring is allowed to continue its bursting forth,
the violet gives off its scent under the blossoming trees
and all the birds sing songs of jubilation.

Oh be quiet, you birds on the green meadows!
The muffled bells resound,
the angels are singing soft funeral songs:
be still you birds up in the blue sky!

You violets, do not adorn any hair today!
My pious child is picking you for a dark wreath,
you will go with her to the house of the mother of God
where you will wither on the Lord's altar.

Oh there, drunk with mournful melodies,
and sweetly sprinkled with the heavy scent of incense,
she is seeking her bridegroom in the grave vaults,
and love, and spring, everything is submerged!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2006 by Malcolm Wren, (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: 2006-04-07
Line count: 20
Word count: 167

Translation © by Malcolm Wren
3. Agnes  [sung text not yet checked]
by Klaus Miehling (b. 1963), "Agnes", op. 356 (Vier Lieder nach Eduard Mörike) no. 3 (2023) [ voice and piano ]
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Rosenzeit! wie [schnell]1 vorbei,
    Schnell vorbei 
Bist du doch gegangen!
Wär' mein Lieb' nur blieben treu,
    Blieben treu,
Sollte mir nicht bangen.

Um die Ernte wohlgemut,
    Wohlgemut
Schnitterrinnen singen.
Aber, ach! mir [kranken]2 Blut,
    Mir [kranken]2 Blut
Will nichts mehr gelingen.

Schleiche so durch's Wiesental,
    So durch's Tal,
Als im Traum verloren,
Nach dem Berg, da tausendmal,
    Tausendmal,
Er mir Treu' geschworen.

Oben auf des Hügels Rand, 
    Abgewandt,
Wein' ich bei der Linde;
An dem Hut mein Rosenband, 
    Von seiner Hand,
Spielet in dem Winde.

Text Authorship:

  • by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875), "Agnes", written 1831, first published 1838

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Confirmed with Eduard Mörike, Gedichte, Dramatisches, Erzählendes, Zweite, erweiterte Auflage, Stuttgart: J.G. Cotta'sche Buchhandlung Nachf., 1961, page 62.

Note: written for the novel Maler Nolten, in which it had the title "Refrain-Liedchen"
1 Wöbbe: "bald"; further changes may exist not shown above.
2 1877 version, also used by Kahn, E. Kauffmann, and Wetzel: "krankem"

by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875)
3. Time of roses! How quickly past
Language: English 
Time of roses! How quickly past,
Quickly past 
have you gone!
Had my sweetheart only remained true,
remained true,
Then I should fear nothing.

At the harvest, cheerfully,
Cheerfully 
the reaping women sing.
But ah! poor me, 
poor me,
I can no longer do anything right.

I creep so through the meadow valley,
Through the meadow valley, 
as if lost in a dream,
To the mountain, where a thousand times,
a thousand times,
he swore he would be true.

Above on the edge of the hill, 
turning away,
I weep by the linden tree;
On my hat, the wreath of roses 
that he made for me 
Blows in the wind.

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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Note: updated 2014-03-25 after a kind suggestion by Lau Kanen.



This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 110

Translation © by Emily Ezust
4. An den Schlaf  [sung text not yet checked]
by Klaus Miehling (b. 1963), "An den Schlaf", op. 356 (Vier Lieder nach Eduard Mörike) no. 4 (2023) [ voice and piano ]
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Schlaf! süßer Schlaf! obwohl dem Tod wie du nichts gleicht,
auf diesem Lager doch willkommen heiß' ich dich!
Denn ohne Leben so, wie lieblich lebt es sich!
So weit vom Sterben, ach, wie stirbt es sich so leicht!

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by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875)
4. To Sleep
Language: English 
 Sleep! Sweet Sleep! although, next do death, there is nothing that so much resembles you,
 on this couch I proclaim you welcome!
 For without life so, how lovely it is to live!
 So far from dying, ah! how easy it is to die!

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.


Based on:

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 4
Word count: 44

Translation © by Emily Ezust