The LiederNet Archive: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, art songs, choral pieces, and other vocal music

Warum sind denn die Rosen so blass

Set by Oscar Strasnoy (b. 1970), "Warum sind denn die Rosen so blass" [ duet for soprano and tenor with piano ], from Heine, no. 7 [sung text not yet checked]

Note: this setting is made up of several separate texts.

Warum sind denn die Rosen so blaß?
O sprich mein Lieb warum?
Warum sind denn im grünen Gras
Die blauen Veilchen so stumm?

Warum singt denn mit so kläglichem Laut,
Die Lerche in der Luft?
Warum steigt denn aus dem Balsamkraut
Verwelkter Blütenduft?

Warum scheint denn die Sonn' auf die Au,
So kalt und verdrießlich herab?
Warum ist denn die Erde so grau,
Und öde wie ein Grab?

Warum bin ich selbst so krank und so trüb?
Mein liebes Liebchen sprich
O sprich mein herzallerliebstes Lieb,
Warum verließest du mich?

Authorship:

by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, appears in Buch der Lieder, in Lyrisches Intermezzo, no. 23 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Perquè són les roses tan pàl·lides", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Why are the roses so pale?", copyright ©
ENG English (John Todhunter) , appears in Heine's Book of Songs, first published 1907
FRE French (Français) (Charles Beltjens) , no title, appears in Intermezzo lyrique, no. 23, first published 1827
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Pourquoi les roses sont-elles si pâles?", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
POR Portuguese (Português) (Axel Bergstedt) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Confirmed with Heinrich Heine, Buch der Lieder, Hoffmann und Campe, Hamburg, 1827, page 129.

Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]

Das ist ein Flöten und Geigen,
Trompeten schmettern [drein]¹;
Da tanzt [wohl]² den Hochzeitreigen
Die Herzallerliebste mein.

Das ist ein Klingen und Dröhnen,
[Von Pauken und Schalmei'n]³;
Dazwischen schluchzen und stöhnen
Die [guten]⁴ Engelein.

Authorship:

by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, appears in Buch der Lieder, in Lyrisches Intermezzo, no. 20 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Això és un tocar de flautes i violins", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Jan Rot) , "Als bruid en bruidegom kussen!", copyright © 2000, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Dat is me een fluiten en baltsen", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Paul Hindemith) , "There is a fluting and fiddling", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Edgar Alfred Bowring) , appears in The Poems of Heine Complete, first published 1861
FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Erkki Pullinen) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Charles Beltjens) , no title, appears in Intermezzo lyrique, no. 20, first published 1827
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GRE Greek (Ελληνικά) (Effimia Gianniou) , "Με τραγούδι από βιολιά και φλ&", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
HEB Hebrew (עברית) (Assaf Levitin) (Michal Levitin) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "E' un suono di flauti e violini", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
SPA Spanish (Español) (Wilson Hidalgo) , "Esas son flautas y violines", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Heinrich Heine, Buch der Lieder, Hoffmann und Campe, Hamburg, 1827, page 127.

¹ Schumann: "darein"
² added by Schumann.
³ Schumann: "Ein Pauken und ein Schalmei'n"
⁴ Schumann: "lieblichen"

Research team for this text: René Slot , Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]

Hör' ich das Liedchen klingen,
Das einst die Liebste sang,
[So will mir die Brust]¹ zerspringen
[Vor]² wildem [Schmerzendrang.]³

[Es treibt mich]⁴ ein dunkles Sehnen
Hinauf [zur]⁵ Waldeshöh',
Dort löst sich auf in Tränen
Mein übergroßes Weh'.

Authorship:

by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, appears in Buch der Lieder, in Lyrisches Intermezzo, no. 40 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Jan Rot) , "Hoor nou 's wat ze zingen", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Paul Hindemith) , "I hear the dear song sounding", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Charles Beltjens) , no title, appears in Intermezzo lyrique, no. 40, first published 1827

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Heinrich Heine, Buch der Lieder, Hoffmann und Campe, Hamburg, 1827, page 145.

¹ Meyerbeer: "Will mir das Herz"
² Schumann: "Von"
³ Franz, Hinrichs: "Schmerzensdrang"
⁴ Meyerbeer: "Mich treibt"
⁵ Hinrichs: "zu der"

Research team for this text: René Slot , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]