Dire story | Did it have to be so dark right then

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by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Schlimme Geschichte

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE

Mußt 's auch grad so dunkel sein
An der Weißdornhecke!
War nicht Mond- nicht Sternenschein,
Stand der Liebste ganz allein
Wartend an der Ecke.

Rothe Rosen in der Hand,
Kam ich still gegangen,
Griff mich ein's am Schürzenband --
Eh' ich noch ein Wörtchen fand,
War ich schon gefangen.

Knurrend lag ein wildes Thier
Auf den Treppenstufen,
Schloß der Liebste schnell die Thür,
Schob auch noch den Riegel für --
Sollt ich etwa rufen?

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• M. Reger

View text with all available footnotes

Confirmed with Gedichte von Anna Ritter, Leipzig: Verlag von A.G. Liebeskind, 1898, page 13

Text Authorship:

by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921), "Schlimme Geschichte", appears in Gedichte, in 1. Das Ringlein sprang entzwei, no. 5 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]

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Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2011-07-06
Line count: 15
Word count: 74

Dire story

NOTE: the footnotes have been removed from this text; return to general view

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Did it have to be so dark right then
By the white hawthorn hedge!
There was no moonlight, no starlight,
My beloved stood all alone
Waiting at the corner.

With red roses in my hand
I came quietly a-walking,
Something seized my apron strings --
Before I could say a word
I was already captured.

Growling, a wild animal lay
Upon the steps,
My beloved quickly locked the door,
Slid the bolt as well --
Should I have called out?

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Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2018 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 Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921), "Schlimme Geschichte", appears in Gedichte, in 1. Das Ringlein sprang entzwei, no. 5
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general view

This text was added to the website: 2018-03-30
Line count: 15
Word count: 80