English translations of Lieder und Gesänge, opus 11

by Christian Sinding (1856 - 1941)

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1. Schifferlied
 (Sung text)
by Christian Sinding (1856 - 1941), "Schifferlied", op. 11 (Lieder und Gesänge) no. 1 (1888) [ voice and piano ]
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Schon hat die Nacht den Silberschein
Des Himmels aufgetan;
Nun spült der See den Wiederschein
Zu dir, zu dir hinan!

Und in dem Glanze schaukelt sich
Ein leichter dunkler Kahn;
Der aber trägt und schaukelt mich
Zu dir, zu dir hinan!

Ich höre schon den Brunnen gehn
Dem Pförtlein nebenan,
Und dieses hat ein gütig Wehn
Von Osten aufgetan.

Das Sternlein schießt, vom Baume fällt
Das Blust in meinen Kahn;
Nach Liebe dürstet alle Welt,
Nun, Schifflein, leg' dich an!

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by Gottfried Keller (1819 - 1890)
1. Sailor's song
Language: English 
Night has already opened
The silver [shrine]1 of heaven,
Now the lake swirls the reflection
Toward you, up to you!

And in the radiance, there rocks
A light, dark-coloured barque;
It, in turn, bears and rocks me 
Toward you, up to you!

I already hear the water-well rippling
Beside the little gate,
And a beneficent breeze from the east
Has opened the little gate.

The little star is shooting, from the tree
Blossoms fall into my barque;
All the world is thirsting for love,
Now, my little barque, come to your berth!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2024 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 title(s):
"Gondellied" = "Gondola song"
"Schifferlied" = "Sailor's song"
"Schifferliedchen" = "Sailor's song"
"Schifferliedchen (Ständchen)" = "Sailor's song (serenade)"
"Schifferständchen" = "Sailor's serenade"
"Ständchen" = "Serenade"

1 Sinding: "radiance"


This text was added to the website: 2024-05-28
Line count: 16
Word count: 93

Translation © by Sharon Krebs
2. Siehst du den Stern
 (Sung text)
by Christian Sinding (1856 - 1941), "Siehst du den Stern", op. 11 (Lieder und Gesänge) no. 2, published 1888 [ medium voice and piano ]
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Siehst du den Stern im fernsten Blau,
Der schimmernd fast erbleicht?
Sein Licht braucht eine Ewigkeit,
Bis es dein Aug' erreicht!

Vielleicht vor tausend Jahren schon
Zu Asche stob der Stern,
Und doch steht dort sein milder Schein
Noch immer still und fern.

Dem Wesen solchen Scheines gleicht,
Der ist und doch nicht ist,
O Lieb', dein anmutvolles Sein,
Wenn du gestorben bist!

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by Gottfried Keller (1819 - 1890)
2.
Language: English 
Do you see the star in the most distant blue,
that, [trembling]1, nearly fades out?
Its light takes an eternity,
before it reaches your eyes!

Perhaps already a thousand years ago
the star sparkled and turned to ash,
and yet [we see its gentle light
there still]2, calm and distant.

The nature of such light,
which is and is no more,
resembles, o Love, your gracious being,
after you will have died!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2018 by John Glenn Paton, (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 Hausegger, Schoeck: "flickering"; Sinding: "shimmering"
2 Hausegger, Schoeck, Sinding: "its gentle light is there / still always"


This text was added to the website: 2018-09-27
Line count: 12
Word count: 76

Translation © by John Glenn Paton
3. In der Trauer
 (Sung text)
by Christian Sinding (1856 - 1941), "In der Trauer", op. 11 (Lieder und Gesänge) no. 3, published 1888 [ medium voice and piano ]
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Ein Meister bin ich worden
zu weben Gram und Leid;
ich webe Tag und Nächte
am schweren Trauerkleid.

Ich schlepp' es auf der Straße
mühselig und bestaubt;
ich trag von spitzen Dornen
ein Kränzlein auf dem Haupt.

Die Sonne steht am Himmel,
Sie sieht es und sie lacht:
Was geht da für ein Zwerglein
in einer Königstracht?

Ich lege Kron' und Mantel
beschämt am Wege hin
und muß nun ohne Trauer
und ohne Freuden ziehn!

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by Gottfried Keller (1819 - 1890)
3. In mourning
Language: English 
I have become a master
at weaving grief and sorrow;
Day and night I weave
a heavy mourning gown.

I wear it in the streets 
toilsome and dusty.
I wear a wreath on my head,
a wreath of  sharp thorns.
 
The sun is in the sky,
he sees it and laughs:
what a small dwarf goes there
in a king's garb.

I put down crown and gown -
ashamed - by the wayside;
and now I must make my way
without grief and without joy!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2005 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.

    Bertram Kottmann.  Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de

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This text was added to the website: 2005-03-15
Line count: 16
Word count: 83

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann
4. Viel Träume
 (Sung text)
by Christian Sinding (1856 - 1941), "Viel Träume", op. 11 (Lieder und Gesänge) no. 4 (1888) [ voice and piano ]
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Viel Vögel sind geflogen,
  Viel Blumen sind verblüht,
Viel Wolken sind gezogen,
  Viel Sterne sind verglüht;
Vom Fels aus Waldesbronnen
  Sind Wasser viel geschäumt:
Viel Träume sind zerronnen,
  Die du, mein Herz, geträumt.

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by Robert Hamerling (1830 - 1889)
4.
Language: English 
Many birds have flown,
Many flowers have bloomed,
Many clouds have passed,
Many stars have gleamed;
Out of the stony spring in the wood
Many waters have foamed:
Many dreams have melted away,
That you, my heart, once dreamed.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2022 by Michael P Rosewall, (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: 2022-07-01
Line count: 8
Word count: 39

Translation © by Michael P Rosewall
5. Ein Weib
 (Sung text)
by Christian Sinding (1856 - 1941), "Ein Weib", op. 11 (Lieder und Gesänge) no. 5 (1888), published 1890 or 1907 [ voice and piano ]
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Sie hatten sich Beide so herzlich lieb,
Spitzbübin war sie, er war ein Dieb.
Wenn er Schelmenstreiche machte,
Sie warf sich aufs Bett und lachte.

Der Tag verging in Freud' und Lust,
Des Nachts lag sie an seiner Brust.
Als man ins Gefängnis ihn brachte,
Sie stand am Fenster und lachte.

Er ließ ihr sagen: «O komm zu mir,
Ich sehne mich so sehr nach dir,
Ich rufe nach dir, ich schmachte» --
Sie schüttelt' das Haupt und lachte.

Um Sechse des Morgens ward er gehenkt,
Um Sieben ward er ins Grab gesenkt;
Sie aber schon um Achte
Trank rothen Wein und lachte.

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Note: in Schreiter's setting, the singer sings laughter after each stanza.
by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)
5. A woman
Language: English 
So loving a couple they were at heart,
Pickpocket he, and she was a tart.
When his roguish tricks got dafter
She'd roll on the bed with laughter.

Their days with many joys were blessed,
At night he held her to his chest.
But then he was dragged off to prison:
She watched and voiced her derision.

From jail he begged her: Oh come tonight,
I long for you with all my might,
It's you I so need, my darling --
She shook her fair head, still laughing.

At six in the morning he was stone dead,
At seven he found a gloomier bed;
She, though, one hour thereafter,
Drank ruby wine with laughter.

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2009 by Peter Palmer, (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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Note: this is a revised American version of the one published with the David Blake setting.


This text was added to the website: 2009-06-10
Line count: 16
Word count: 113

Translation © by Peter Palmer
6. Totengräberlied  [sung text not yet checked]
by Christian Sinding (1856 - 1941), "Totengräberlied", op. 11 (Lieder und Gesänge) no. 6 [ voice and piano ]
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Grabe, Spaden, grabe!
Alles, was ich habe,
Dank' ich, Spaden, dir!
Reich' und arme Leute
Werden meine Beute,
Kommen einst zu mir!

Weiland groß und edel,
Nickte dieser Schädel
Keinem Grusse Dank!
Dieses Beingerippe
Ohne Wang' und Lippe
Hatte Gold und Rang.

Jener Kopf mit Haaren
War vor wenig Jahren
Schön, wie Engel sind!
Tausend junge Fentchen
Leckten ihm das Händchen,
Gafften sich halb blind!

Grabe, Spaden, grabe!
Alles, was ich habe,
Dank' ich, Spaden, dir!
Reich' und arme Leute
Werden meine Beute,
Kommen einst zu mir!

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Confirmed with Gedichte von Ludewig Heinrich Christoph Hölty. Besorgt durch seine Freunde Friederich Leopold Grafen zu Stolberg und Johann Heinrich Voß. Hamburg, bei Carl Ernst Bohn. 1783, pages 44-45, with Poetische Blumenlese für das Jahr 1777. Herausgegeben von Joh. Heinr. Voß. Hamburg, bey Carl Ernst Bohn, pages 60-61, and with Ludwig Christoph Heinrich Hölty's Sämtliche Werke kritisch und chronologisch herausgegeben von Wilhelm Michael, Erster Band, Weimar, Gesellschaft der Bibliophilen, 1914, page 195.

Note: Modern spelling would change "Spaden" to "Spaten" (line 1-1) and "Fentchen" to "Fäntchen" (line 3-4)


by Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty (1748 - 1776)
6. Grave-digger's song
Language: English 
Dig, spade, dig!
Everything that I have
I thank you for, spade!
Both rich and poor people
Will be my prey,
Will come one day to me.

Formerly great and noble,
this skull nodded
no return of greetings.
This skeleton
without cheeks and lips
had once gold and rank.

That head with hair
Was just a few years ago
beautiful, as angels are.
A thousand young fops
licked his hands,
and gaped themselves half blind.

Dig, spade, dig!
Everything that I have
I thank you for, spade!
Both rich and poor people
Will be my prey,
Will come one day to me.

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: 102

Translation © by Emily Ezust