English translations of Drei Gesänge, opus 22

by Leopold Lenz (1803 - 1862)

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1. Quand tu chantes, bercée le soir entre mes bras  [sung text not yet checked]

Subtitle: Serenade aus: 'Marie Tudor'

by Leopold Lenz (1803 - 1862), "Quand tu chantes, bercée le soir entre mes bras", subtitle: "Serenade aus: 'Marie Tudor'", op. 22 (Drei Gesänge) no. 1, published 183-? [ voice, piano, and horn or violoncello ]
Language: French (Français) 
   Quand tu chantes, bercée
   Le soir entre mes bras,
   Entends-tu ma pensée
   Qui te répond tout bas ?
   Ton doux chant me rappelle
   Les plus beaux de mes jours...
      Chantez, ma belle !
      Chantez toujours !

   Quand tu ris, sur ta bouche
   L'amour s'épanouit,
   [Et le soupçon farouche
   Soudain s'évanouit !]1
   Ah ! le rire fidèle
   Prouve un cœur sans détours ! ... --
     Riez, ma belle !
     Riez toujours!

  Quand tu dors, calme et pure,
   Dans l'ombre, sous mes yeux,
   Ton haleine murmure
   Des mots harmonieux.
   Ton beau corps se révèle
   Sans voile et sans atours... --
     Dormez, ma belle,
     Dormez toujours !

   Quand tu me dis: Je t'aime !
   Ô ma beauté ! je croi !
   Je crois que le ciel même
   S'ouvre au-dessus de moi !
   Ton regard étincelle
   Du beau feu des amours... --
     Aimez, ma belle,
     Aimez toujours !

   Vois-tu ? toute la vie
   Tient dans ces quatre mots,
   Tous les biens qu'on envie,
   Tous les biens sans les maux !
   Tout ce qui peut séduire
   Tout ce qui peut charmer... --
     Chanter et rire,
     Dormir, aimer !

Text Authorship:

  • by Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885), no title, appears in Marie Tudor, Paris: J. Hetzel; Journée 1, Scene 5, first published 1833

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Confirmed with Victor Hugo, Marie Tudor. La Esmerelda, Paris: J. Hetzel, 1833, Journée I, Scène v, pages 27-28; and with Œuvres de Victor Hugo, Volume 1, Bruxelles, J. P. Meline, 1836, pages 735-736. Before the first stanza, the stage directions say "On entend une guitare et une voix éloignée qui chante:", and after the first stanza the character L'homme says "C'est mon homme." (this is not part of any song setting). After that, the voice (La Voix) continues with the stage direction "Elle s'approche à chaque couplet." and the rest of the song follows.

1 Gounod: "Et soudain le farouche / Soupçon s'évanouit."

by Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885)
1.
Language: English 
When you sing in the evening
cradled in my arms,
can you hear my thoughts
softly answering you?
Your sweet song recalls to me
the happiest days I've known.
Sing, sing, my pretty one,
sing on forever!

When you laugh, love 
blossoms on your lips,
[and at once cruel 
suspicion vanishes.]1
Ah, faithful laughter
shows a heart without guile.
Laugh, laugh, my pretty one,
laugh on forever!

When you sleep calm and pure
beneath my gaze, in the shadow,
your breathing murmurs
harmonious words.
Your lovely body is revealed
without veil or finery.
Sleep, sleep, my pretty one,
sleep on forever!

When you say 'I love you',
oh my beauty, I believe!
I think that heaven itself
is opening above me!
Your eyes sparkle
with love's beautiful fire...
Love,love, my pretty one,
love on forever!

Do you see? All of life
is held in these four verbs,
all the good things people wish for,
all the good without the bad!
Everything that can delight,
everything that can charm...
To sing, to laugh,
to sleep, to love!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2000-2019 by Peter Low, (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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Translation of title "Sérénade" = "Serenade"

Note: the stage directions before the first stanza translate as "A guitar is heard and a voice in the distance singing"; the character L'homme says "That is my man"; and then La Voix continues with stage directions that translate to "(The voice comes closer with every stanza)".

1 Translator's note: Gounod has "Et soudain le farouche Soupçon s'évanouit!". This change in word-order, made for rhythmic reasons, does not alter the sense.


This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 40
Word count: 177

Translation © by Peter Low
2. Ich schnitt es gern in alle Rinden ein
 (Sung text)
by Leopold Lenz (1803 - 1862), "Ich schnitt es gern in alle Rinden ein", op. 22 (Drei Gesänge) no. 2, published 183-? [ voice, piano, and horn or violoncello ]
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Ich schnitt' es gern in alle Rinden ein,
Ich grüb' es gern in jeden Kieselstein,
Ich möcht' es sä'n auf jedes frische Beet
Mit Kressensamen, der es schnell verräth,
Auf jeden weißen Zettel möcht' ich's schreiben:
Dein ist mein Herz, und soll es ewig bleiben.

Ich möcht' mir ziehen einen jungen Staar,
Bis daß er spräch' die Worte rein und klar,
Bis er sie spräch' mit meines Mundes Klang,
Mit meines Herzens vollem, heißem Drang;
Dann säng' er hell durch ihre Fensterscheiben:
Dein ist mein Herz, und soll es ewig bleiben.

Den Morgenwinden möcht' ich's hauchen ein,
Ich möcht' es säuseln durch den regen Hain;
O, leuchtet' es aus jedem Blumenstern!
Trüg' es der Duft zu ihr von nah' und fern!
Ihr Wogen, könnt ihr nichts als Räder treiben?
Dein ist mein Herz, und soll es ewig bleiben.

Ich meint', es müßt' in meinen Augen stehn,
Auf meinen Wangen müßt' man's brennen sehn,
Zu lesen wär's auf meinem stummen Mund,
Ein jeder Athemzug gäb's laut ihr kund;
Und sie merkt nichts von all' dem bangen Treiben:
Dein ist mein Herz, und soll es ewig bleiben.

Text Authorship:

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Published also in Frauentaschenbuch für das Jahr 1821 von de la Motte Fouqué. Nürnberg bei Joh. Leonh. Schrag, pages 401-402.

See also this text by G. T. that either quotes or plagiarizes the first stanza.

by Wilhelm Müller (1794 - 1827)
2. Impatience
Language: English 
I would carve it fondly in the bark of trees,
I would chisel it eagerly into each pebble,
I would like to sow it upon each fresh flower-bed
With water-cress seeds, which it would quickly disclose;
Upon each white piece of paper would I write:
Yours is my heart and so shall it remain forever.

I would like to raise a young starling,
Until he speaks to me in words pure and clear,
Until he speaks to me with my mouth's sound,
With my heart's full, warm urge;
Then he would sing brightly through her windowpanes:
Yours is my heart and so shall it remain forever!

I would like to breath it into the morning breezes,
I would like to whisper it through the active grove;
Oh, if only it would shine from each flower-star!
Would it only carry the scent to her from near and far!
You waves, could you nothing but wheels drive?
Yours is my heart, and so shall it remain forever.

I thought, it must be visible in my eyes,
On my cheeks it must be seen that it burns;
It must be readable on my mute lips,
Every breath would make it loudly known to her,
And yet she notices nothing of all my yearning feelings.
Yours is my heart, and so shall it remain forever.

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: 221

Translation © by Emily Ezust
3. Alles, wo ich weil' und gehe
 (Sung text)
by Leopold Lenz (1803 - 1862), "Alles, wo ich weil' und gehe", op. 22 (Drei Gesänge) no. 3, published 183-? [ voice, piano, and horn or violoncello ]
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Alles, wo ich weil' und gehe
Muß Verlangen mir erregen,
Ewig ist von süßem Wehe
Mir die volle Brust erfüllt,
Und du kömmst auf allen Wegen
Mir entgegen,
Holdes Bild!

Flieh' ich dich, so muß ich leiden,
Leiden, wenn ich dich erblicke,
Immer zwischen Sehn und Meiden
Schwankt mein Herz im raschen Streit,
Und mir naht, wohin ich blicke,
Leid im Glücke,
Glück im Leid.

Wenn ich still auf Lieder sinne,
Scheinst du hold mit mir zu scherzen,
Und ich ruh' im Wahn der Minne
Selig dann an deiner Brust.
Flieh, o Traum, du bringst dem Herzen
Lange Schmerzen,
Kurze Lust!
 
Wogend zwischen Freud' und Kummer
Schweb' ich, wie im Meer der Nachen,
Und ich wünsche nun den Schlummer,
Und zu wachen wünsch' ich nun.
Soll ich weinen, soll ich lachen?
Soll ich wachen
Oder ruhn?
 
Wollt' ich aus dem Leben scheiden,
Schwiegen wohl die wilden Triebe;
Doch zu missen Lust und Leiden,
Ist dem Herzen kein Gewinn.
Sey du freundlich oder trübe,
Süße Liebe,
Nimm mich hin!

Text Authorship:

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by Ernst Konrad Friedrich Schulze (1789 - 1817)
3. Everything, wherever I tarry and walk
Language: English 
Wherever I tarry and walk, everything
Must call forth longing within me,
With sweet pain my full bosom
Is eternally filled,
And upon all roads you come
Towards me,
Lovely image!
 
If I flee from you, I must suffer,
Must suffer when I espy you,
Ever between beholding and avoiding
My heart alternates in a rapid conflict,
And wherever I look I encounter
Suffering in joy,
Joy in suffering.
 
When I am quietly pondering songs,
You seem to be sweetly jesting with me,
And, in the delusion of love, I rest
Blissfully upon your breast.
Be off, oh dream, you bring my heart
Lasting pains,
Fleeting pleasure!
 
Tossed between joy and heartache
I float like a barque in the sea,
And I desire slumber at one moment,
And at the next I desire to be watchful.
Should I weep, should I laugh?
Should I watch
Or rest?
 
If I were to depart this life,
The wild urges might well fall silent,
But to do without joy and suffering
Is of no benefit to my heart.
Whether you be friendly or gloomy,
Sweet love,
Take me!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 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: 

Based on:

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Translated titles:
"Alles, wo ich weil' und gehe" = "Everything, wherever I tarry and walk"
"Am 6ten Januar 1814" = "On the 6th of January 1814"


This text was added to the website: 2016-09-15
Line count: 35
Word count: 185

Translation © by Sharon Krebs