English translations of Vier Lieder, opus 52

by Hans Hermann (1870 - 1931)

1. Liederfrühling
 (Sung text)
by Hans Hermann (1870 - 1931), "Liederfrühling", op. 52 (Vier Lieder) no. 1, published 1903 [ voice and piano ], Berlin: C.A. Challier & Co.
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Der Lenz ist da 
Und fern und nah 
Gibt's neue Weisen und Lieder;
Wie einst Merlin, 
So lausch ich hin
Und Alles schreib' ich nieder.

Hoch in der Luft,
Was die Lerche ruft,
Was die Drossel klagt im Holunder,
Was den Rosen all'
Die Nachtigall
Flötet: Sagen und Wunder,

Was die Schlange klug 
Ihre Kinder frug, 
Die im Sonnenlichte schillern;
Was Hänfling und Fink 
Im Fluge flink 
Einander zwitschern und trillern,

Was die Vögel gewusst, 
Die voll Wanderlust 
Aus dem Süden erst gekommen,
Was im Walde tief 
An Märchen schlief, 
Hab' Alles, Alles vernommen.

Hab' es abgelauscht, 
Was lenzberauscht 
Die Glockenblumen läuten; --
Lieder und Melodie'n, 
Wie Merlin
Kann ich sie deuten.

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by Heinrich Leuthold (1827 - 1879)
1. Springtime of song
Language: English 
Spring is here
And far and near
There are new melodies and songs;
Like Merlin once upon a time
I listen well
And write down everything [I hear].

High up in the air
That which the lark calls,
That which the thrush laments in the elderberry bush,
That which to all the roses
[The nightingale
Flutes: legends and wonders]1,

That which the serpent cleverly
Asked her children,
Who were glittering in the sunlight;
That which linnets and finches
In rapid flight
Twitter and trill to each other,

That which the birds knew,
[The birds] who with the joy of wandering
Have only just returned from the south,
[All that of fairy-tales which lay
Sleeping deep in the forest]3,
Everything I noticed, everything.

I eavesdropped on that
Which intoxicated by spring
The bell-flowers were tolling; --
Songs and melodies,
Like Merlin
I can interpret them.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2019 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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Translations of titles:
"Schwarzdorn" = "Blackthorn"
"Liederfrühling" = "Springtime of song"

1 Wurm: "Flutes the nightingale / The loveliest legends and wonders"
2 Wurm adds "Tiö, Tiö, Tiö, Tiö, Tiö, Tiö, Tiö, Tiö" (i.e., eight of them)
3 Huber: "That which deep in the forest / Lay sleeping in fairy tales"


This text was added to the website: 2019-05-28
Line count: 30
Word count: 143

Translation © by Sharon Krebs
2. Der jungen Hexe Lied
 (Sung text)
by Hans Hermann (1870 - 1931), "Der jungen Hexe Lied", op. 52 (Vier Lieder) no. 2, published 1903 [ voice and piano ], Berlin: C.A. Challier & Co.
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Als nachts ich überm Gebirge ritt,
Rack, schack, schacke mein Pferdchen,
Da ritt ein seltsam Klingeln mit,
Kling, ling, klingelalei.

Es war ein schmeichlerisch bittend Getön,
Es war wie Kinderstimmen schön.

Mir wars, ich streichelt' ein lindes Haar,
Mir war so weh, so wunderbar.

Da schwand das Klingeln mit einemmal,
Ich sah hinunter ins tiefe Tal.

Da sah ich Licht in meinem Haus,
Rack, schack, schacke mein Pferdchen,
Mein Bübchen sah zum Fenster hinaus,
Kling, ling, klingelalei.

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by Otto Julius Bierbaum (1865 - 1910)
2. The song of the young witch
Language: English 
When by night I rode over the mountains,
Rack, schack, schacke, my little horse,
A strange ringing seemed to be riding along with me,
Kling, ling, klingelalei.

It was a beguilingly pleading sound,
It was as beautiful as the voices of children.

It was as if I were caressing a soft [head of] hair,
I felt so [melancholy and]1 wondrous.

Then the ringing disappeared all at once,
I gazed down into the deep valley.

[There]2 I saw light within my house,
Rack, schack, schacke, my little horse,
My little lad was looking out [for his mother]3,
Kling, ling, klingelalei.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2012 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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Translations of titles
"Der jungen Hexe Lied" = "The song of the young witch"
"Junghexenlied" = "Song of the young witch"
"Lied der jungen Hexe" = "Song of the young witch"

1 Hermann: "melancholy, so"
2 Sinding: "Then"
3 Hermann: "of the window"


This text was added to the website: 2012-07-03
Line count: 14
Word count: 99

Translation © by Sharon Krebs
3. Leuchtende Tage
 (Sung text)
by Hans Hermann (1870 - 1931), "Leuchtende Tage", op. 52 (Vier Lieder) no. 3, published 1903 [ voice and piano ], Berlin: C.A. Challier & Co.
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Ach, unsre leuchtenden Tage
Glänzen wie ewige Sterne.
Als Trost für künftige Klage
Glüh'n sie aus goldener Ferne.

Nicht weinen,weil sie vorüber!
Lächeln, weil sie gewesen!
Und werden die Tage auch trüber,
Unsere Sterne erlösen!

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by Ludwig Jacobowski (1868 - 1900)
3. Radiant days
Language: English 
Ah, our radiant days
Sparkle like eternal stars.
As a solace for future lamentation
They glow from the golden distance.

Do not weep because they are past!
Smile, because they once were!
[And even if the days become drearier]1,
Our stars shall save [us]!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2012 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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1 Zilcher: "Even if the days become drearier"; d'Albert: "Though the days shroud us more drearily in greyness"


This text was added to the website: 2012-09-02
Line count: 8
Word count: 44

Translation © by Sharon Krebs
4. Nun die Schatten dunkeln
 (Sung text)
by Hans Hermann (1870 - 1931), "Nun die Schatten dunkeln", op. 52 (Vier Lieder) no. 4, published 1903 [ voice and piano ], Berlin: C.A. Challier & Co.
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Nun die Schatten dunkeln,
Stern an Stern erwacht:
Welch ein Hauch der Sehnsucht
Flutet durch die Nacht!

Durch das Meer der Träume
Steuert ohne Ruh',
Sehnend meine Seele
Deiner Seele zu.

Die sich dir ergeben,
Nimm sie ganz dahin!
Ach, du weißt, daß nimmer
Ich mein eigen bin.

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by Emanuel von Geibel (1815 - 1884)
4. Now the shadows are darkening
Language: English 
Now the shadows are darkening
star after star is waking up:
what a breath of longing
is flooding through the night!

Across the sea of dreams,
steering ceaselessly
my soul is steering
towards your soul.

Anything that surrenders to you
is to be taken completely.
Oh, you know, that I am no longer
my own.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2005 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: 2005-04-11
Line count: 12
Word count: 55

Translation © by Malcolm Wren