English translations of Zwei Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte, opus 37

by Wenzel Theodor Bradsky (1833 - 1881)

1. Letzter Wunsch  [sung text not yet checked]
by Wenzel Theodor Bradsky (1833 - 1881), "Letzter Wunsch", op. 37 (Zwei Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1871 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Trautwein
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Nur einmal [möcht' ich dir noch]1 sagen,
Wie du unendlich lieb mir bist,
Wie dich, so lang mein Herz wird schlagen,
Auch meine Seele nie vergißt.

Kein Wörtlein solltest du erwidern,
[Nur freundlich mir]2 in's Auge sehn,
Ja, mit gesenkten Augenlidern
Nur stumm und schweigend vor mir stehn.

[Ich aber]3 legte meine Hände
[Dir betend]4 auf das schöne Haupt,
[Damit dir Gott]5 den Frieden sende,
Den meiner Seele du geraubt.

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Confirmed with Gedichte von Julius Sturm, Leipzig, F. A. Brockhaus, 1850, page 32. Note: the last line appeared in this edition as "Den meine Seele dir geraubt", but this misprint was corrected as early as 1856 in Dichterstimmen der Gegenwart. Eine Sammlung vom Felde der deutschen Lyrik seit 1850, herausgegeben von Karl Weller, Leipzig: Heinrich Hübner, 1856, page 464. Editions after this date used "Den meiner Seele du geraubt", as did all the settings marked checked below.

1 Hesse: "noch möcht' ich dir"; Wirz: "möcht' ich dir es"; further changes may exist not noted above.
2 Wüllner: "Mir freundlich nur"
3 Gumbert: "Doch ich, ich"
4 Wüllner: "Betend dir"
5 Wüllner: "Auf dass Gott dir"

by Julius Karl Reinhold Sturm (1816 - 1896)
1.
Language: English 
Just once, I would like to tell you
How unceasingly precious you are to me,
How you, as long as my heart is still beating,
Will never be forgotten by my soul.

You needn’t reply with a single word,
Just gaze kindly into my eyes,
Yes, with lowered eyelids
Just stand before me, speechless and quiet.

But I will lay my hands
Prayerfully upon your beautiful head,
That God might send the peace,
Which my soul stole from you.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2022 by Michael P Rosewall, (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.


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This text was added to the website: 2022-07-01
Line count: 12
Word count: 79

Translation © by Michael P Rosewall
2. Nichts Schöneres  [sung text not yet checked]
by Wenzel Theodor Bradsky (1833 - 1881), "Nichts Schöneres", op. 37 (Zwei Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1871 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Trautwein
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Als ich zuerst dich hab' gesehn,
Wie du so lieblich warst, so schön,
Da fiel's mein Lebtag mir nicht ein,
Daß noch was Schönres sollte sein,
Als in dein liebes Augenpaar
Hinein zu schauen immerdar.

Da hab' ich denn so lang' geschaut,
Bis du geworden meine Braut;
Und wieder fiel es mir nicht ein,
Daß noch was Schön'res könnte sein,
Als so an deinem rothen Mund
Sich satt zu küssen alle Stund.

Da hab' ich denn so lang' geküßt,
Bis du mein Weibchen worden bist;
Und kann nun wohl versichert sein,
Daß [gar nichts Schöneres]1 kann sein,
Als wie mit seinem lieben Weib
Zu sein so ganz ein' Seel, [und]2 Leib!

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Note: the poem was first published in Deutscher Musenalmanach auf das Jahr 1836, page 155; it later appeared in Lieder, 1844. Some later editions have changed the first three words in stanza 1, line 6 ("Hinein zu schauen") to "Hineinzuschauen"

1 Schumann: "noch was Schönres nicht"
2 Marschner: "ein"

by Robert Reinick (1805 - 1852)
2. Nothing more lovely
Language: English 
When I first beheld you,
how lovely you were, how fair,
I thought it would never happen in all my days
to see something lovelier
than your dear eyes
as I gazed into them for eternity.

I gazed at them so long,
until you became my bride;
and again I thought it would never happen
that I could see something lovelier
than your red mouth,
as I kissed them all the hour.

I kissed them so long,
until you were my wife;
and now I can be certain
that there can be nothing lovelier
than my lovely wife
in body and soul.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust, (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.


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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 102

Translation © by Emily Ezust