English translations of Fünf Lieder aus dem Trompeter von Säckingen, opus 45

Das ist im Leben häßlich eingerichtet,
Daß bei den Rosen gleich die Dornen steh'n,
Und was das arme Herz auch sehnt und dichtet,
Zum Schlusse kommt das Voneinandergeh'n.
In deinen Augen hab' ich einst gelesen,
Es blitzte drin von Lieb' und Glück ein Schein:
  Behüet dich Gott! es wär' zu schön gewesen,
  Behüet dich Gott, es hat nicht sollen sein! -- 

Leid, Neid und Haß, auch ich hab' sie empfunden,
Ein sturmgeprüfter müder Wandersmann.
Ich träumt' von Frieden dann und stillen Stunden,
Da führte mich der Weg zu dir hinan.
In deinen Armen wollt' ich ganz genesen,
Zum Danke dir mein junges Leben weih'n:
  Behüet dich Gott!  Es wär' zu schön gewesen!
  Behüet dich Gott, es hat nicht sollen sein! --

Die Wolken flieh'n, der Wind saust durch die Blätter,
Ein Regenschauer zieht durch Wald und Feld,
Zum Abschiednehmen just das rechte Wetter,
Grau wie der Himmel steht vor mir die Welt.
Doch wend' es sich zum Guten oder Bösen,
Du schlanke Maid, in Treuen denk' ich dein!
  Behüet dich Gott, es wär zu schön gewesen,
  Behüet dich Gott, es hat nicht sollen sein! --

It is [poorly]1 arranged in life
That with the roses one immediately finds thorns.
And whatever a [poor]2 heart desires and dreams -
In the end comes parting.
I once read in your eyes;
A light of love and joy glinted in them.
  May God protect you!  It would have been too beautiful!
  May God protect you!  It was not to be!

Pain, envy and hatred, I too have felt them,
[I], a storm-tried, tired wanderer.
I dreamed of peace then and of quiet hours;
Then my pathway led me up to you.
In your arms I wanted to recover completely,
In thanks [I wanted] to dedicate my young life to you!
  May God protect you!  It would have been too beautiful!
  May God protect you!  It was not to be!

[The clouds scud]3, the wind [rushes loudly]4 through the leaves,
A shower of rain passes over forest and field:
Just the right sort of weather for taking farewell,
The world stands before me, as grey as the sky.
But no matter how my life turns out, whether good or bad,
[You slender maiden,]5 I shall think of you in faithfulness.
  May God protect you!  It would have been too beautiful!
  May God protect you!  It was not to be!

Text Authorship:

• Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2006 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
  
  

Based on:

• a text in German (Deutsch) by Joseph Viktor von Scheffel (1826 - 1886), no title, appears in Der Trompeter von Säkkingen, in Vierzehntes Stück. Das Büchlein der Lieder, in 1. Lieder jung Werners, no. 12
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Translated titles:
"Behüt' dich Gott" = "May God protect you"
"Das ist im Leben hässlich eingerichtet" = "It is poorly arranged in life"
"Das ist im Leben schmerzlich eingerichtet" = "It is painfully arranged in life"
"Es hat nicht sollen sein" = "It was not to be"
"Jung Werner: Das ist im Leben häßlich eingerichtet" = "Young Werner: It is poorly arranged in life"
"Jung Werners Klage" = "Young Werner's lament"
"Lied des jungen Werner (Es hat nicht sollen sein)" = "Song of young Werner (It was not to be)"
"Lied Jung Werners" = "Song of young Werner"
"Lied Werners aus dem Trompeter von Säckingen" = "Werner's song from the Trumpeter of Säckingen"

¹ Hamma: "painfully"; further changes may exist not shown above.
² Pfitzner: "human"
³ Abt, Meyer-Helmund, Pfitzner: "Clouds rush away"
⁴ Pfitzner: "soughs"
⁵ Abt, Meyer-Helmund, Pfitzner: "My whole life long"

This text was added to the website: 2006-11-15
Line count: 24
Word count: 215

Am Ufer blies ich ein lustig Stück,
Wie klang die alte Trompete
Hell in den Sturm, der das Getön
Zum Herrenschloß verwehte!

Die Wasserfrau im tiefen Grund
Hört Sturm und Töne rauschen,
Sie steigt herauf, neugierig will
Die Klänge sie erlauschen.

Und als sie wieder hinab getaucht,
Erzählt sie den Fischen mit Lachen:
"O Rheineskinder, man erlebt
Doch sonderbarliche Sachen:

Sitzt oben Einer im Regensturm,
Was glaubt Ihr, daß er triebe?
-- Bläst immerzu dasselbe Lied,
Das Lied von seiner Liebe."

On the riverbank I played a merry piece.
How the old trumpet rang out
Brightly into the storm, which blew the sound
To the lord's castle!

The water-woman in the depths
Hears the rushing sound of storm and music.
She ascends, curious,
She wants to listen to the sounds.

And when she has dived down again,
She laughingly tells the fishes:
"Oh children of the Rhine, one experiences
Strange things!

There's someone sitting up there in the downpour;
What do you think he is up to?
He blows the same song constantly,
The song of his love."

Text Authorship:

• Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2006 by Sharon Krebs and Harald 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
  
  

Based on:

• a text in German (Deutsch) by Joseph Viktor von Scheffel (1826 - 1886), no title, appears in Der Trompeter von Säkkingen, in Vierzehntes Stück. Das Büchlein der Lieder, in 1. Lieder jung Werners, no. 4
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Subtitle: "(On the riverbank I played a merry piece)"

Translations of title(s):
"Am Ufer blies ich ein lustig Stück" = "On the riverbank I played a merry piece"
"Lied des jungen Werner" = "Song of young Werner"

This text was added to the website: 2006-11-15
Line count: 16
Word count: 97

Ein' festen Sitz hab' ich veracht't,
Fuhr unstät durch's Revier,
Da fand ich sonder Vorbedacht
Ein lobesam Quartier.

Doch wie ich in der Ruhe Schoss
Sänftlich zu sitzen wähn',
Da bricht ein Donnerwetter los,
Muß wieder wandern geh'n.

All' Jahr'  wächst eine and're Pflanz'
Im Garten, als vorher;
Das Leben wär' ein Narrentanz,
Wenn's nicht so ernsthaft wär'.

I disdained a firm abode,
I rambled erratically through the countryside.
Then, without premeditation, I found
A praiseworthy lodging.

But when I thought that I was sitting
Comfortably in the lap of peace,
A thunderstorm struck!
I must go wandering again.

Every year a different plant
Grows in the garden;
Life would be a dance of fools
If it were not so serious.

Text Authorship:

• Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2006 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
  
  

Based on:

• a text in German (Deutsch) by Joseph Viktor von Scheffel (1826 - 1886), no title, appears in Der Trompeter von Säkkingen, in Vierzehntes Stück. Das Büchlein der Lieder, in 1. Lieder jung Werners, no. 11
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Translated titles:
"Einen festen Sitz hab' ich veracht't" = "I disdained a firm abode"
"Ein' festen Sitz hab' ich veracht" = "I disdained a firm abode"
"Ein' festen Sitz hab' ich veracht't" = "I disdained a firm abode"

This text was added to the website: 2006-11-15
Line count: 12
Word count: 63

Als ich zum erstenmal dich sah,
Es war am sechsten Märze,
Da fuhr ein Blitz aus blauer Luft
Versengend in mein Herze.

Hat All' verbrannt, was drinnen stand,
Es ist mir Nichts geblieben,
Doch Epheu gleich wächst aus dem Schutt
Der Name meiner Lieben.

When I saw you for the first time,
It was on the sixth of March,
A bolt of lightening came out of the blue
Scorchingly into my heart.

It burned everything therein,
Nothing remained to me.
But [ivy-like]1 from the rubble grows
The name of my beloved.

Text Authorship:

• Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2006 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
  
  

Based on:

• a text in German (Deutsch) by Joseph Viktor von Scheffel (1826 - 1886), no title, appears in Der Trompeter von Säkkingen, in Vierzehntes Stück. Das Büchlein der Lieder, in 1. Lieder jung Werners, no. 2
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Translated titles:
"Als ich zum erstenmal dich sah" = "When I saw you for the first time"
"Als ich zum erstenmal dich sah, es war am sechsten Märze" = "When I saw you for the first time, it was on the sixth of March"
"Jung Werner's Lied (II)" = "Young Werner's song (II)"

¹ Lang: "like ivy"

This text was added to the website: 2006-11-15
Line count: 8
Word count: 48

An dem Ende seiner Tage
Steht der Kater Hiddigeigei,
Und er denkt mit leiser Klage,
Wie sein Dasein bald vorbei sei.

Möchte gerne aus dem Schatze
Reicher Weisheit Lehren geben,
Dran die Zukunft mancher Katze
Haltpunkt fänd' im schwanken Leben.
Miau! Miau! Miau!

Ach der Lebenspfad ist holpernd,
-- Liegen dort so manche Steine,
Dran wir Alten, schmählich stolpernd,
Oftmals uns verrengt die Beine.

Ach, das Leben birgt viel Hader
Und schlägt viel unnütze Wunden,
Mancher tapf're schwarze Kater
Hat umsonst den Tod gefunden.
Miau! Miau! Miau!

Doch wozu der alte Kummer?
Und ich hör' die Jungen lachen,
Und sie treiben's noch viel dummer,
Schaden erst wird klug sie machen.

Fruchtlos stets ist die Geschichte;
Mögen seh'n sie, wie sie's treiben!
-- Hiddigeigeis Lehrgedichte
Werden ungesungen bleiben.
die Zukunft mancher

At the end of his days
Stands the cat Hiddigeigei.
And he thinks, with faint lamenting,
How his existence shall soon be over.

He would gladly, out of his treasure
Of rich wisdom, supply teachings
That would lend the future of many a cat
An anchor in this unstable life.1

Oh, the path of life is rough.
-- Many stones lie there,
On which we old ones, wretchedly tripping,
Have often sprained our legs.

Oh, life contains much strife
And often wounds [us] unnecessarily.
Many a courageous black cat
Has needlessly found his death.1

But of what use is the age-old sorrow?
And I hear the young ones laughing.
And they act even more stupidly.
Only misfortune will make them wise.

History is always fruitless.
Let them manage as best they can!
-- Hiddigeigei's instructive songs
Shall remain unsung.1

Text Authorship:

• Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2006 by Sharon Krebs and Harald 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
  
  

Based on:

• a text in German (Deutsch) by Joseph Viktor von Scheffel (1826 - 1886), no title, appears in Der Trompeter von Säkkingen, in Vierzehntes Stück. Das Büchlein der Lieder, in 2. Lieder des Katers Hiddigeigei, no. 12
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¹ Lang adds: "Miau! Miau! Miau!"

This text was added to the website: 2006-11-15
Line count: 24
Word count: 140