English translations of Vier Lieder für S., A., T. und B., opus 4

by Wilhelm Claussen (1843 - 1869)

1. Wenn der Frühling auf die Berge steigt  [sung text not yet checked]
by Wilhelm Claussen (1843 - 1869), "Wenn der Frühling auf die Berge steigt", op. 4 (Vier Lieder für S., A., T. und B.) no. 1, published 1867 [ mixed chorus a cappella ], Berlin, Trautwein
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Wenn der Frühling auf die Berge steigt
 Und im Sonnenstrahl der Schnee zerfließt,
Wenn das erste Grün am Baum sich zeigt,
 Und im Gras das erste Blümlein sprießt --
   Wenn vorbei im Thal
   Nun mit einem Mal
 Alle [Regenzeit]1 und Winterqual,
   Schallt es von den Höh'n
   Bis zum Thale weit:
   O, wie wunderschön
   Ist die Frühlingszeit!

Wenn am Gletscher heiß die Sonne leckt,
 [Wenn]2 die Quelle von den Bergen springt,
Alles rings mit [jungem]3 Grün sich deckt
 Und das [Lustgetön]4 der Wälder klingt--
   [Lüfte]5 lind und lau
   Würzt die grüne Au,
 Und der Himmel lacht so rein und blau,
   Schallt es von den Höh'n
   Bis zum Thale weit:
   O, wie wunderschön
   Ist die Frühlingszeit!

War's nicht auch zur jungen Frühlingszeit,
 Als Dein Herz sich meinem Herz erschloß?
Als [von]6 Dir, du wundersüße Maid,
 [Ich den]7 ersten langen Kuß genoß!
   Durch den Hain [entlang]8,
   Heller Lustgesang,
 Und die Quelle von den Bergen sprang--
   [Scholl]9 es von den Höh'n
   Bis zum Thale weit:
   O, wie wunderschön
   Ist die Frühlingszeit!

Text Authorship:

Based on:

See other settings of this text.

View original text (without footnotes)

Note: in Zöllner's setting, in stanza 1, line 11, when "Ist" is repeated, it becomes "Ist doch"

1 Mandyczewski: "Regenszeit"
2 Frank: "Und"
3 Frank: "frischem"
4 Mandyczewski: "Luftgetön" (typo in the score?)
5 Frank: "Düfte"
6 Zöllner: "ich von"
7 Zöllner: "Den"
8 Frank, Zöllner: "erklang"
9 Frank, Zöllner: "Schallt"

by Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt (1819 - 1892)
1.
Language: English 
When spring climbs up on the mountains
 And the snow melts in the sunbeams,
When the first green shows itself on the trees,
 And in the grass the first little flower springs up,
   When in the valley
   Suddenly now
 All rainy time and winter misery is over,
   Then it rings out from the heights
   Down to the wide valley:
   Oh how wondrously beautiful
   Is springtime!

When the sun's heat melts the glaciers,
 When the water spring leaps from the mountains,
[When] everything around adorns itself with green
 And the [joyful]1 sounds of the forest ring out,
   [When] mild and warm breezes
   Become filled with the scents of the green meadow,
 And the heavens smile so pure and blue,
   Then it rings out from the heights
   Down to the wide valley:
   Oh how wondrously beautiful
   Is springtime!

And was it not also during early springtime
 That your heart revealed itself to my heart?
When, you wondrously sweet maiden,
 I revelled in the first long kiss from you?
   Throughout the grove
   Bright, joyful singing,
 And the water spring leapt from the mountains --
   Then it rang out from the heights
   Down to the wide valley:
   Oh how wondrously beautiful
   Is springtime!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2013 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:

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view

View original text (without footnotes)

Translated titles:
"O, wie wunderschön ist die Frühlingszeit" = "Oh how wondrously beautiful is springtime"
"Die Frühlingszeit" and "Frühlingszeit" = "Springtime"
"Wenn der Frühling auf die Berge steigt = "When spring climbs up upon the mountains"
"Frühlingslied" = "Song of Spring"
"Frühling" = "Spring"
"O wie wunderschön" = "Oh how wondrously beautiful"
"O wie wunderschön ist die Frühlingszeit" = "Oh how wondrously beautiful is springtime"
"O wunderschöne Frühlingszeit" = "Oh beautiful springtime"
"Wunderschöne Frühlingszeit" = "Wondrously beautiful springtime"

1 Mandyczewski: "airy" (but possibly a typo in the score)


This text was added to the website: 2013-07-31
Line count: 33
Word count: 199

Translation © by Sharon Krebs
2. Im Wald  [sung text not yet checked]
by Wilhelm Claussen (1843 - 1869), "Im Wald", op. 4 (Vier Lieder für S., A., T. und B.) no. 2, published 1878 [ mixed chorus a cappella ], Berlin, Bahn
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Im Wald, im hellen Sonnenschein
Wenn alle Knospen springen,
[Da]1 mag ich gerne mittendrein
Eins singen.

Wie mir zu Muth in Leid und Lust,
Im Wachen und im Träumen,
Das stimm' ich an aus voller Brust
Den Bäumen.

Und sie verstehen mich gar fein,
Die Blätter alle lauschen,
Und fall'n am rechten Orte ein,
Mit Rauschen.

Und weiter [wandelt]2 Schall und Hall,
In Wipfeln, Fels und Büschen.
Hell schmettert auch Frau Nachtigall
Dazwischen.

Da fühlt die Brust am eignen Klang,
Sie darf sich was erkühnen --
O [frische Lust: Gesang! Gesang]3
Im Grünen!

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Gedichte von Emanuel Geibel. Erste wohlfeile Ausgabe, Nijmegen, AE. Timmerman, 1846, pages 74-75. Modern German would change the spelling "Muth" -> "Mut"

1 Hensel, Raff, Sahr, Thuille: "Dann"
2 Raff: "wandert"
3 Randhartinger, Thuille: "frische Luft: Gesang! Gesang"; Zöllner: "frischer, froher Lustgesang"

by Emanuel von Geibel (1815 - 1884)
2. In the forest, in bright sunshine
Language: English 
In the forest, in bright sunshine,
when all the buds spring up,
it is right in the middle of there that I like
to sing a song.

According to my mood, in sorrow and joy,
awake and in dreams,
I give it voice with full heart
to the trees.

And they understand me to the letter,
the leaves eavesdrop
and fall in at the right place,
with rustling.

And the sound and echo wander farther,
through the treetops, rocks, and bushes.
Miss Nightingale also blares away brightly
in the midst of it all.

Then, when the heart hears its own sound,
it feels it can do whatever it dares to,
oh what a lively pleasure, a song, a song
among the greenery.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2008 by Joel Ayau, (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: 2008-12-10
Line count: 20
Word count: 122

Translation © by Joel Ayau
3. Auf dem See  [sung text not yet checked]
by Wilhelm Claussen (1843 - 1869), "Auf dem See", op. 4 (Vier Lieder für S., A., T. und B.) no. 3, published 1878 [ mixed chorus a cappella ], Berlin, Bahn
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Und frische Nahrung, neues Blut
Saug' ich aus freier Welt;
Wie ist Natur so hold und gut,
Die mich am Busen hält!
Die Welle wieget unsern Kahn
Im Rudertakt hinauf,
Und Berge, wolkig himmelan,
Begegnen unserm Lauf.

Aug', mein Aug', was sinkst du nieder?
Goldne Träume, [kommt]1 ihr wieder?
Weg, du Traum! so Gold du bist;
Hier auch Lieb' und Leben ist.

Auf der Welle blinken
Tausend schwebende Sterne,
Weiche Nebel trinken
Rings die thürmende Ferne;
Morgenwind umflügelt
Die beschattete Bucht,
Und im See bespiegelt
Sich die reifende Frucht.

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Goethe's Werke. Vollständige Ausgabe letzter Hand. Erster Band. Stuttgart und Tübingen, in der J.G.Cotta'schen Buchhandlung. 1827, page 86; and with Goethe's Schriften, Achter Band, Leipzig, bey Georg Joachim Göschen, 1789, pages 144-145.

1 Nägeli: "kehrt"

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
3. On the lake
Language: English 
And fresh sustenance, new blood
I soak up from the wide world;
How sweet and good is nature
Which holds me to her bosom!
The waves rock our little boat
In time with the oars,
And mountains, cloud-capped heavenwards,
Meet our circling course.

Eyes, my eyes, why are you cast down?
Golden dreams, do you come again?
Away, you dream, however golden;
Here too is love and life.

On the waves twinkle
A thousand hovering stars,
Soft mists swallow up
The surrounding towering distances;
Morning wind wings around
The shadowed bay,
And the lake mirrors
The ripening fruit.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Lawrence Snyder and Rebecca Plack, (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: 20
Word count: 98

Translation © by Lawrence Snyder, Rebecca Plack
4. Muntrer Bach, was rausch'st du so  [sung text not yet checked]
by Wilhelm Claussen (1843 - 1869), "Muntrer Bach, was rausch'st du so", op. 4 (Vier Lieder für S., A., T. und B.) no. 4, published 1878 [ mixed chorus a cappella ], Berlin, Bahn
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Muntrer Bach, was rauschst Du so?
Rauschst so lauter, klar und froh;
Wirfst den hellen Silberschaum
An der Ufer grünen Saum -
   "Meinen Blumen, die da lauschen,
   Muß ich frohe Botschaft rauschen,
   Daß der Mai gekommen ist!"

Lerche hoch in Sonnenschein,
O wie jubelst Du so rein!
Steigst mit Liedern himmelan,
Daß der Blick nicht folgen kann -
   "Hoch gen Himmel muß ichs bringen,
   Und den Wolken muß ichs singen,
   Daß der Mai gekommen ist!"

Liebes Herz in voller Brust,
O was [klopfst]1 Du so in Lust?
Und in ungestümem Drang
Jubelst Du so selig bang? -
   "Laß mich jubeln, laß mich klagen,
   Laß mich klopfen, laß mich schlagen,
   Weil der Mai gekommen ist!"

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Hiller: "klagst"

by Julius Rodenberg (1831 - 1914)
4. Happy stream, why do you roar so?
Language: English 
Happy stream, why do you roar so?
Roaring so loudly, clearly and joyfully;
Throwing your bright silver foam
Onto the green riverbank – 
“To my listening flowers,
I must shout the happy news,
That May has come!”

Lark, high in the sunshine,
O how pure is your exaltation!
Rising so close to heaven with songs,
That the eye cannot follow you – 
“To high heaven must I tell,
And to the clouds must I sing,
That May has come!”

Dear heart within my overflowing breast,
Why do you beat with such intensity?
And in unbridled fervor
Exult with such blissful agitation? – 
“Let me rejoice, let me lament,
Let me beat, let me pound,
Because May has come!”

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.
    Contact: 

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view

Translations of title(s):
"Mailied" = "May Song"
"Muntrer Bach" = "Happy Stream"
"Muntrer Bach, was rausch'st du so" = "Happy stream, why do you roar so?"



This text was added to the website: 2022-11-25
Line count: 21
Word count: 118

Translation © by Michael P Rosewall