English translations of Sechs Lieder, opus 3

by Friedrich Gernsheim (1839 - 1916)

1. Die helle Sonne leuchtet  [sung text not yet checked]
by Friedrich Gernsheim (1839 - 1916), "Die helle Sonne leuchtet", op. 3 (Sechs Lieder) no. 1, published 1865 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Die helle Sonne leuchtet
  Auf's weite Meer hernieder,
Und alle Wellen zittern
  Von ihrem Glanze wieder.

Du spiegelst Dich, wie die Sonne,
  Im Meere meiner Lieder!
Sie alle glühn und zittern
  Von Deinem Glanze wieder!

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Confirmed with Die Lieder des Mirza-Schaffy mit einem Prolog von Friedrich Bodenstedt, Einunddreißigste Auflage, Berlin, Verlag der Königlichen Geheimen Ober-Hofbuchdruckerei, 1870, page 124.


by Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt (1819 - 1892)
1. The bright sun shines
Language: English 
The bright sun shines
Down upon the wide ocean,
And all the waves tremble
In response to her effulgence.

Like the sun, you are reflected
In the ocean of my songs!
They all glow and tremble
In response to your effulgence!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2013 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.
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Translated titles:
"Die helle Sonne leuchtet" = "The bright sun shines"
"Nachklänge (2)" = "Echoes (2)"
"Die helle Sonne" = "The bright sun"
"An Zuleikha" = "To Suleika"
"Zuleikha" = "Suleika"



This text was added to the website: 2013-10-03
Line count: 8
Word count: 41

Translation © by Sharon Krebs
2. Nicht mit Engeln im blauen Himmelszelt  [sung text not yet checked]
by Friedrich Gernsheim (1839 - 1916), "Nicht mit Engeln im blauen Himmelszelt", op. 3 (Sechs Lieder) no. 2, published 1865 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Nicht mit [Engeln im]1 blauem Himmelszelt,
Nicht mit Rosen [auf]2 duftigem Blumenfeld,
Selbst mit [dem ewigen Sonnenlicht]3,
[Vergleiche]4 ich Zuleikha, mein Mädchen nicht!

Denn der Engel Busen ist [liebesleer]5,
Unter Rosen drohen die Dornen her,
Und die Sonne verhüllt des Nachts ihr Licht,
Sie alle gleichen Zuleikha nicht.

Nichts finden, so weit das Weltall reicht,
Die Blicke, was meiner Zuleikha gleicht!
Schön, dornlos, voll ewigem Liebes-Schein!
Kann sie mit sich selbst nur verglichen sein!

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1 Grünberger: "den Engeln, im"; further changes may exist not shown above.
2 Rubinstein: "im"
3 Bronsart, Deprosse, Mandyczewski: "der ewigen Sonne Licht"
4 Bronsart, Deprosse, Mandyczewski: "Vergleich'"
5 Bronsart, Deprosse, Mandyczewski, Rubinstein: "liebeleer"

by Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt (1819 - 1892)
2. Not with angels in the blue canopy of heaven
Language: English 
Not with angels in the blue canopy of heaven,
Not with roses [on]1 the scented flowery meadow,
Even with the [eternal light of the sun]2,
Do I compare Suleika, my maiden!

For the bosom of the angels is void of love,
From under the roses thorns threaten,
And the sun hides its light at night,
They are all nothing like Suleika.

As far as the universe extends, my eyes
Find nothing that is like my Suleika!
Beautiful, thornless, full of the eternal glow of love,
She can only be compared to herself!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2013 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.
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Translated titles:
"Nicht mit Engeln" = "Not with angels"
"Zuléikha" and "Zuleika" and "Suleika" = "Suleika"BR> "Nicht mit Engeln im blauen Himmelszelt" = "Not with angels in the blue canopy of heaven"
"Lob Zuleika's" = "In praise of Suleika"

1 Rubinstein: "in"
2 Bronsart, Mandyczewski: "light of the eternal sun"


This text was added to the website: 2013-10-03
Line count: 12
Word count: 95

Translation © by Sharon Krebs
3. Untreue  [sung text not yet checked]
by Friedrich Gernsheim (1839 - 1916), "Untreue", op. 3 (Sechs Lieder) no. 3, published 1865 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel
Language: German (Deutsch) 
[In einem kühlen Grunde]1
da geht ein Mühlenrad,
mein Liebchen ist verschwunden,
[die]2 dort gewohnet hat.

Sie hat mir Treue versprochen,
gab mir einen Ring dabei,
sie hat die Treue gebrochen,
das Ringlein sprang entzwei.

Ich möcht' als Spielmann reisen
[weit]3 in die Welt hinaus,
und singen meine Weisen
und [gehn]4 von Haus zu Haus.

Ich möcht' als Reiter fliegen
wohl in die blut'ge Schlacht,
[um stille]5 Feuer liegen
[Im Feld bei dunkler]6 Nacht.

[Hör' ich]7 das Mühlrad gehen,
[Ich]8 weiß nicht, was ich will,
Ich möcht' am liebsten sterben,
Dann wär's auf einmal still.

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Note: Kreutzer's version is sometimes erroneously credited to Uhland. The original poem is also sometimes titled "Untreue" and substitutes "Liebste" for "Liebchen" in line 1-3.

1 Kreutzer: "In jenem Tale dort unten" ; and sometimes "In jenem Thal dort unten"
2 Kreutzer: "das"
3 Kreutzer: "wohl"
4 Kreutzer: "zieh'n"
5 Kreutzer: "an stillem"
6 Kreutzer: "einsam bei kühler"
7 Kreutzer: "Ich hör"
8 Kreutzer: "und"

by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857) and sometimes misattributed to Johann Ludwig Uhland (1787 - 1862)
3.
Language: English 
In a cool valley
there turns a mill-wheel;
Gone is my darling
who had lived there.

She promised to be constant
and gave me a ring to prove it;
she has broken her faith
and my ring cracked in two.

I would like to journey as a minstrel
into the wide world out there,
and sing my melodies
going house to house.

I would like to dash as a horseman
into bloody battle,
to lie around a quiet fire
in the field at darkest night.

When I hear the mill-wheel turning,
I do not know what I want -
I want most of all to die,
for then the wheel would at a single blow be silent.

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: 20
Word count: 116

Translation © by Emily Ezust
4. Allnächtlich im Traume seh' ich dich
 (Sung text)
by Friedrich Gernsheim (1839 - 1916), "Allnächtlich im Traume seh' ich dich", op. 3 (Sechs Lieder) no. 4, published 1865 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Allnächtlich im Traume seh' ich dich
Und sehe dich freundlich grüßen,
Und laut aufweinend stürz' ich mich
Zu deinen süßen Füßen.

Du siehst mich an wehmütiglich
Und schüttelst das blonde Köpfchen;
Aus deinen Augen schleichen sich  
Die Perlentränentröpfchen.

Du sagst mir heimlich ein leises Wort
Und gibst mir den Strauß von Zypressen.
Ich wache auf, und der Strauß ist fort,
Und das Wort hab' ich vergessen.

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by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)
4. Nightly I see you in my dreaming
Language: English 
 Nightly I see you in my dreams
 And I see you greet me, friendly,
 And crying out loudly, I throw myself
 At your sweet feet.

 You look at me sorrowfully
 And shake your dear, blond head;
 From your eyes sneak forth
 The pearly teardrops.

 You say a soft word to me secretly,
 And give me a branch of the cypress;
 I awake, and the branch is gone,
 And I have forgotten the word.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Paul Hindemith, (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: 2003-10-13
Line count: 12
Word count: 74

Translation © by Paul Hindemith
5. Dein gedenk' ich  [sung text not yet checked]
by Friedrich Gernsheim (1839 - 1916), "Dein gedenk' ich", op. 3 (Sechs Lieder) no. 5, published 1865 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Sonne taucht in Meeresfluten,
Himmel [blitzt]1 in letzten Gluten,
Langsam will der Tag verscheiden,
Ferne Abendglocken läuten.
Dein gedenk' ich, Margaretha!

Haupt gelehnt [auf]2 Felsens Kante,
Fremder Mann [in fremdem]3 Lande.
Um den [Fuß]4 die Wellen schäumen,
Durch die Seele zieht ein Träumen.
Dein gedenk' ich, Margaretha!

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Confirmed with Joseph Victor von Scheffels sämtliche Werke, ed. by Johannes Franke, Erster Band, Leipzig: Hesse & Becker Verlag, 1916.

Note: at least three editions of Der Trompeter von Säkkigen (1859, 1869, 1872) have "Fluß" in stanza 2, line 3, word 3; but the editions of 1874, 1883, and 1890 have "Fuß", as does the above edition. Henschel uses "Fluß" in his setting, but since the English translation in the score has "at my feet" in that line, it seems this is a typo and "Fuß" should be sung instead.

1 Bruch, Meyer-Helmund: "strahlt"
2 Bruch, Meyer-Helmund: "an"
3 Bruch, Henschel, Kienzl, Meyer-Helmund: "im fremden"
4 Bruch, Meyer-Helmund: "Fels"

by Joseph Viktor von Scheffel (1826 - 1886)
5.
[Translation not yet available]
6. Heimkehr  [sung text not yet checked]
by Friedrich Gernsheim (1839 - 1916), "Heimkehr", op. 3 (Sechs Lieder) no. 6, published 1865 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel
Language: German (Deutsch) 
O brich nicht, Steg, du zitterst sehr!
O stürz' nicht, Fels, du dräuest schwer!
Welt, geh' nicht unter, Himmel, fall' nicht ein,
[Eh]1 ich mag bei der Liebsten sein!

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1 Brahms: "Bis"

by Johann Ludwig Uhland (1787 - 1862)
6. The journey home
Language: English 
O break not, footbridge, you shake so very much,
O fall not, rocks on the cliff, you seem so threateningly heavy,
World, do not end, and sky, do not fall,
Until I may be with my beloved!

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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Translation of title "Heimkehr" = "The journey home"


This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 4
Word count: 37

Translation © by Emily Ezust