English translations of Lieder, opus 10

by Otto Breve

1. Wenn ich auf dem Lager liege  [sung text not yet checked]
by Otto Breve , "Wenn ich auf dem Lager liege", op. 10 (Lieder) no. 5
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Wenn ich auf dem Lager liege
In Nacht [und Kissen]1 gehüllt,
So schwebt mir vor ein süßes,
Anmutig liebes Bild!

Wenn mir der stille Schlummer
Geschlossen die Augen kaum,
So schleicht [das Bild sich leise]2
Hinein in meinen Traum

[Doch]3 mit dem Traum des Morgens
Zerrinnt es nimmermehr;
Dann trag' ich es im Herzen
Den ganzen Tag umher.

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

View original text (without footnotes)
Confirmed with Heinrich Heine's Sämmtliche Werke, Erster Band: Reisebilder, Dritte Auflage, Philadelphia: Verlag von John Weik, 1856, pages 29-30.

1 omitted by Mendelssohn
2 Lang: "das liebe Bild"
3 Lang: "Und"

by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)
1. When I lie on the bed
Language: English 
When I lie on the bed, 
shrouded in night and cushions, 
So floats before me a sweet,
lovely dear image.

When silent slumber 
has barely closed my eyes, 
So creeps the image quietly
into my dream.

And in the morning 
it never fades away with the dream:
Then I carry it about with me in my heart 
the whole day.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by David K. Smythe, (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:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 60

Translation © by David K. Smythe
2. Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht  [sung text not yet checked]
by Otto Breve , "Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht", op. 10 (Lieder) no. 6
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht,
Das Leben ist der schwüle Tag.
Es dunkelt schon, mich schläfert,
Der Tag hat mich müd gemacht.

Über mein Bett erhebt sich ein Baum,
Drin singt die junge Nachtigall;
Sie singt von lauter Liebe -
Ich hör es sogar im Traum.

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)
2. Death is the cool night
Language: English 
Death is the cool night;
Life is the sultry day.
It is growing dark already, and I feel drowsy, 
The day has made me weary.

Above my bed stands a tree
In which the young nightingale sings;
It sings of sonorous love -
And I even hear it in my dreams.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2019 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:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 50

Translation © by Emily Ezust