English translations of Vier Gesänge für zwei weibliche Stimmen mit Pianoforte, opus 205

by Ferdinand von Hiller (1811 - 1885)

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1. Römisches Ritornell  [sung text not yet checked]
by Ferdinand von Hiller (1811 - 1885), "Römisches Ritornell", op. 205 (Vier Gesänge für zwei weibliche Stimmen mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1884 [ vocal duet and piano ], Leipzig, Schuberth & Co.
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Wie schön du bist! O sei von Gott gesegnet!
Wohin du schreitest, sprießen frische Gräser,
Du gleichst dem Frühling, wenn es Blüten regnet!

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Confirmed with Paul Heyse, Italienisches Liederbuch, Berlin: Verlag von Wilhelm Hertz (Bessersche Buchhandlung), 1860, page 113.


by Paul Heyse (1830 - 1914)
1. Roman ritornello
Language: English 
How beautiful you are! Oh, may God bless you!
Wherever you tread, fresh grasses sprout;
You are like springtime, when it rains blossoms!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2021 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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This text was added to the website: 2021-01-12
Line count: 3
Word count: 23

Translation © by Sharon Krebs
2. Der König in Thule  [sung text not yet checked]
by Ferdinand von Hiller (1811 - 1885), "Der König in Thule", op. 205 (Vier Gesänge für zwei weibliche Stimmen mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1884 [ vocal duet and piano ], Leipzig: Schuberth & Co.
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Es war ein König in Thule
Gar treu bis an [das]1 Grab,
Dem sterbend seine Buhle
Einen goldnen Becher gab.

Es ging ihm nichts darüber,
Er leert' ihn jeden Schmaus;
Die Augen gingen ihm über,
So oft er trank daraus.

Und als er kam zu sterben,
Zählt' er seine Städt' im Reich,
[Gönnt']2 alles [seinem]3 Erben,
Den Becher nicht zugleich.

Er saß beim Königsmahle,
Die Ritter um ihn her,
[Auf hohem]4 Vätersaale,
Dort auf dem Schloß am Meer.

Dort stand der alte Zecher,
Trank letzte Lebensgluth,
Und warf den [heil'gen]5 Becher
Hinunter in die Fluth.

Er sah ihn stürzen, trinken,
Und sinken tief ins Meer.
Die Augen täten ihm sinken;
Trank nie einen Tropfen mehr.

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Confirmed with Goethe's Werke, Vollständige Ausgabe letzter Hand, Erster Band, Stuttgart und Tübingen, in der J.G.Cottaschen Buchhandlung, 1827, pages 187-188; and with "Faust. Ein Fragment" in Goethe's Schriften. Siebenter Band, Leipzig, bey Georg Joachim Göschen, 1790, pages 94-95. The two versions differ in stanza 5, line 3 word 3 ("heil'gen" in the first cited work, "heiligen" in the second cited work.

Note: the text was first published in a different version in Volks- und andere Lieder, mit Begleitung des Forte piano, In Musik gesetzt von Siegmund Freyherrn von Seckendorff, Dritte Sammlung. Dessau, 1782, pages 6-9; see below.

See also "Het dartele water bruiselt", a poem by Pol de Mont written to be sung to Schumann's song "Der König von Thule".

1 Lenz, Liszt: "sein"
2 Zelter: "Lies"
3 Fritze, Lenz, Liszt: "seinen"
3 Schubert (Neue Gesamtausgabe): "seinen"
4 Zelter: "In hohen"
5 Rheinberger: "heiligen"

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
2. There was a King of Thule
Language: English 
There was a King of Thule,
faithful to the grave,
to whom his dying beloved
gave a golden goblet.

Nothing was more valuable to him:
he drained it in every feast;
and his eyes would overflow
whenever he drank from it.

And when he neared death,
he counted the cities of his realm
and left everything gladly to his heir -
except for the goblet.

He sat at his kingly feast,
his knights about him,
in the lofty hall of ancestors,
there in the castle by the sea.

There, the old wine-lover stood,
took a last draught of life's fire,
and hurled the sacred goblet
down into the waters.

He watched it plunge, fill up,
and sink deep into the sea.
His eyes then sank closed
and he drank not one drop more.

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: 24
Word count: 132

Translation © by Emily Ezust
3. Zwei Rosen  [sung text not yet checked]
by Ferdinand von Hiller (1811 - 1885), "Zwei Rosen", op. 205 (Vier Gesänge für zwei weibliche Stimmen mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1884 [ vocal duet and piano ], Leipzig, Schuberth & Co.
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Kein Sternlein blinkt am Himmelszelt,
In Träumen liegt die Menschenwelt.

Schön Rosa sitzt am Meeresstrand,
Ein welkes Röslein in der Hand.

Das mahnt sie an den seligen Tag,
Wo er von ewiger Treue sprach.

Das mahnt sie an die finstre Nacht,
Die sie um all' ihr Glück gebracht.

Ein dumpfer Fall, auf rauscht das Meer,
Dann tiefes Schweigen rings umher.

Die Sonne am andern Morgen fand
Zwei bleiche Rosen am Meeresstrand.

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Confirmed with Julius Sturm, Gedichte, Leipzig: F.A. Brockhaus, 1850, page 86.
Note: In later editions of Sturm's poetry (for example the fourth edition from 1873), the fifth stanza is omitted.


by Julius Karl Reinhold Sturm (1816 - 1896)
3. Two roses
Language: English 
No star twinkles upon the vault of heaven,
The world of mankind lies in dreams.

Lovely Rosa sits at the seashore,
A wilted little rose in her hand.

It reminds her of the blessed day
On which he spoke of eternal faithfulness.

It reminds her of that dark night
That robbed her of all her happiness.

A dull [sound of a] fall, the sea surges,
Then deep silence round about.

The sun, on the following morning, found
Two pale roses on the seashore.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2021 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: 

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This text was added to the website: 2021-01-13
Line count: 12
Word count: 83

Translation © by Sharon Krebs
4. März  [sung text not yet checked]
by Ferdinand von Hiller (1811 - 1885), "März", op. 205 (Vier Gesänge für zwei weibliche Stimmen mit Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1884 [ vocal duet and piano ], Leipzig, Schuberth & Co
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Es ist ein Schnee gefallen,
Denn es ist noch nicht Zeit,
Daß von den Blümlein allen,
Daß von den Blümlein allen,
Wir werden hoch erfreut.

Der Sonnenblick betrüget
Mit mildem falschem Schein,
Die Schwalbe selber lüget,
Die Schwalbe selber lüget,
Warum? Sie kommt allein!

Sollt' ich mich einzeln freuen,
Wenn auch der Frühling nah?
Doch kommen wir zu zweien,
Doch kommen wir zu zweien,
Gleich ist der Sommer da!

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Confirmed with Gedichte von Goethe, Dritte Auflage, Berlin: G. Grote'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1873, page 18.


by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
4. March
Language: English 
The snow has fallen;
it is not yet time
for all the flowers
for all the flowers
to delight us.
 
The sun swindles us
with a mild, false glow;
even the swallow is lying,
even the swallow is lying -
and why? because he comes alone!

Should I enjoy myself alone
when Spring is so close?
Yet if there were two of us,
yet if there were two of us,
it would all at once be Summer!

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:

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Translations of titles:
"März" = "March"
"Es ist ein Schnee gefallen" = "The snow has fallen"



This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 15
Word count: 76

Translation © by Emily Ezust