English translations of Romanzen für Frauenstimmen (Heft 1), opus 69

Schwirrend Tamburin, dich schwing ich,
Doch mein Herz ist weit von hier.

Tamburin, ach könntst du's wissen,
Wie mein Herz von Schmerz zerrissen,
Deine Klänge würden müssen
Weinen um mein Leid mit mir.

Weil das Herz mir will zerspringen,
Laß ich hell die Schellen klingen,
Die Gedanken zu versingen
Aus des Herzens Grunde mir.

Schöne Herren, tief im Herzen
Fühl ich immer neu die Schmerzen,
Wie ein Angstruf ist mein Scherzen,
Denn mein Herz ist weit von hier.

Whirring tambourine, I swing you,
But my heart is far from here.

Tambourine, ah, if you could know
How my heart is torn with pain,
Your sounds would have to weep
With me over my sorrow.

Because my heart is bursting,
I let the jingles1 ring out brightly,
To sing away the thoughts
From the depths of my heart.

[Handsome men]2, deep in my heart
I feel the pain ever anew,
My jesting is like a cry of fear,
For my heart is far from here.

Text Authorship:

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

• a text in German (Deutsch) by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857), "Die Musikantin", appears in Gedichte, in 8. Aus dem Spanischen
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Based on:

• a text in Spanish (Español) by Alvaro Fernandez de Almeida
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Translated titles:
"Die Musikantin" = "The musician"
"Tamburinschlägerin" = "Tambourine player"
"Die Tamburinschlägerin" = "The tambourine player"

¹ The metal plates set into the rim of a tambourine
² "Mistress" (Sommer views the last stanza as an answer by the musical instrument. On the score it is marked "Die Gegenrede des Tamburins ist sehr zart vorzutragen" (The response of the tambourine is to be performed very delicately).

This text was added to the website: 2009-09-21
Line count: 14
Word count: 89

Bin ein Feuer hell, das lodert
Von dem grünen Felsenkranz,
Seewind ist mein Buhl' und fordert
Mich zum lust'gen Wirbeltanz,
Kommt und wechselt unbeständig,
Steigend wild, 
Neigend mild,
Meine schlanken Lohen wend' ich:
Komm nicht nah' mir, ich verbrenn' dich!

Wo die wilden Bäche rauschen 
Und die hohen Palmen stehn,
Wenn die Jäger heimlich lauschen,
Viele Rehe einsam gehn.
Bin ein Reh, flieg' durch die Trümmer,
Über die Höh',
Wo im Schnee
Still die letzten Gipfel schimmern,
Folg' mir nicht, erjagst mich nimmer!

Bin ein Vöglein in den Lüften,
Schwing' mich übers blaue Meer,
Durch die Wolken von den Klüften
Fliegt kein Pfeil mehr bis hieher.
Und die Au'n, die Felsenbogen,
Waldeseinsamkeit 
Weit, wie weit, 
Sind versunken in die Wogen --
Ach, ich habe mich verflogen!

I am a bright fire blazing
from the green rocky wreath;
the sea wind is my lover and 
summons me to a lusty whirlwind dance.
Constantly moving and changing,
rising wildly, 
bending gently,
I turn my slim blaze:
do not come near me - I'll burn you!

Where the wild brooks roar
and the lofty palms stand,
when the hunter listens secretly,
many deer wander alone.
I am a deer, fleeing through the rubble,
across the heights, 
where in the snow
the last summits glimmer mutely;
do not follow me, do not ever try to hunt me! 

I am a little bird in the sky,
soaring across the blue lake;
through the clouds of the ravine
no arrow flies behind me.
And the floodplains, the rocky arch,
as wide as the lonely forest,
so wide! 
I have sunk into the waves,
ah, I have evaporated!

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.
  licenses@email.lieder.example.net
  
  

Based on:

• a text in German (Deutsch) by Joseph Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857), "Waldmädchen", appears in Gedichte, in 7. Romanzen
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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 27
Word count: 144

Ich armes Klosterfräulein!
O Mutter! was hast du gemacht!
Lenz ging am Gitter vorüber,
Hat mir kein Blümlein gebracht.

Ach, wie weit, weit dort unten
Zwei Schäflein gehen im Tal!
Viel Glück, ihr Schäflein, ihr sahet
Den Frühling zum erstenmal!

Ach, wie weit, weit dort oben
Zwei Vöglein fliegen in Ruh'!
Viel Glück, ihr Vöglein, ihr flieget
Der besseren Heimat zu!

Ah, what a poor nun am I!
O  mother what have you done!
Spring passed by the bars
And brought me no flowers!

Ah, how far, how far below
Two lambs walk in the valley.
Good luck you lambs,
You've seen spring for the first time.

Ah, how far, how far above
Two birds fly in peace!
Good luck little birds,
You're flying to a better home.

Text Authorship:

• Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Siân Goldthorpe and Christian Stein, (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 Justinus (Andreas Christian) Kerner (1786 - 1862), "Klosterfräulein", appears in Gedichte, in Die lyrischen Gedichte, first published 1807
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This text was added to the website: 2003-10-13
Line count: 12
Word count: 67

Ach, wenn's nur der König auch wüßt',
Wie wacker mein Schätzelein ist!
Für den König, da ließ' er sein Blut,
Für mich aber eben so gut.

Mein Schatz hat kein Band und kein' Stern,
Kein Kreuz wie die vornehmen Herrn,
Mein Schatz wird auch kein General;
Hätt' er nur seinen Abschied einmal!

Es scheinen drei Sterne so hell
Dort über Marien-Kapell;
Da knüpft uns ein rosenrot' Band,
Und ein Hauskreuz ist auch bei der Hand.

Ah, if only the king knew as well
How valiant my darling is!
He would offer his lifeblood for the king,
But [just]1 the same for me.
 
My darling has no ribbons and medals,
No crosses like the lordly gentlemen,
My darling will also not become a general;
If only he could get his discharge!
 
Three stars shine so brightly
There over the Chapel of St. Mary;
There a rosy-red ribbon shall unite us,
And a cross to bear at home2 is also already on hand.

Text Authorship:

• Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 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 Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875), "Die Soldatenbraut"
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Translated titles:
"Die Soldatenbraut" = "The soldier's bride"
"Soldatenbraut" = "Soldier's bride"

¹ Berg: "also just"
² "Hauskreuz" is a German idiom for a cranky wife.

This text was added to the website: 2015-03-19
Line count: 12
Word count: 88

Still bei Nacht fährt manches Schiff,
Meerfei kämmt ihr Haar am Riff,
Hebt von Inseln an zu singen,
Die im Meer dort untergingen.

Purpurrot, smaragdengrün
Sieht's der Schiffer unten blühn,
Silberne Paläste blinken,
Holde Frauenmienen winken:

Wann die Morgenwinde wehn,
Ist nicht Riff noch Fei zu sehn,
Und das Schifflein ist versunken,
Und der Schiffer ist ertrunken.

Quietly at night many a ship sails,
The mermaid combs her hair upon the reef,
She begins to sing about islands
That sank into the sea at that place.1

When the morning winds begin to blow,
One can see neither reef nor mermaid,
And the ship has sunk,
And the sailor has drowned.

Text Authorship:

• Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2009 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 Karl Benedikt, Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788 - 1857), "Verloren", appears in Gedichte, in 7. Romanzen
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Translations of titles
"Meerfey" = "Mermaid"
"Still bei Nacht" = "Silence at night"
"Verloren" = "Lost"

¹ Schumann adds

Down below the sailor sees blooming
Crimson red, emerald green,
Silvery palaces glistening,
Lovely faces of women beckoning:

This text was added to the website: 2009-09-21
Line count: 8
Word count: 54

Droben stehet die Kapelle,
Schauet still ins Tal hinab,
Drunten singt bei Wies' und Quelle
Froh und hell der Hirtenknab'.

Traurig tönt das Glöcklein nieder,
Schauerlich der Leichenchor;
Stille sind die frohen Lieder,
Und der Knabe lauscht empor.

Droben bringt man sie zu Grabe,
Die sich freuten in dem Tal.
Hirtenknabe, Hirtenknabe!
Dir auch singt man dort einmal.

 Up there stands the chapel,
 gazing mutely down into the valley;
 lower down, by the meadows and streams,
 the shepherd lad sings blithely and brightly.
 
 Mournfully the little bell tolls down,
 an eerie funeral choir;
 silenced are the merry songs
 and the boy listens. 
 
 Above, they are bearing to the grave
 those who were happy in the valley.
 Shepherd lad, shepherd lad,
 they will one day sing for you as well.

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.
  licenses@email.lieder.example.net
  
  

Based on:

• a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Ludwig Uhland (1787 - 1862), "Die Kapelle", appears in Lieder
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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 72