The old fir tree | Solitary in the depths of the forest

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by Franz Alfred Muth (1839 - 1890)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Die alte Tanne

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: DUT ENG

  Einsam im Waldesgrund
Düster sie steht.
Ob auch des Sommers Luft,
Ob wilder Blumen Duft
Mild sie umweht;
Düster sie steht.

  Einsam im Waldesgrund
Düster sie steht.
Vögel umschwärmen sie,
Kinder umlärmen sie;
Wie im Gebet
Düster sie steht.

  Einsam im lichten Grund
Düster sie steht:
Lärmet und schwärmet nur,
Klaget und härmet nur;
Ich werd' als Truh'
Doch eure Ruh'!

  Sommerluft, Blumenduft
Eilig sie geh'n;
Laß doch von Schaum und Traum,
Gib stiller Sehnsucht Raum!
Wenn sie verweh'n,
Lern' mich versteh'n!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• J. Rheinberger

J. Rheinberger sets stanzas 1-3

View text with all available footnotes

Confirmed with Franz Alfred Muth, Waldblumen, Dritte, durchaus ausgewählte und reich vermehrte Auflage, Paderborn: Druck und Verlag von Ferdinand Schöningh, 1885, pages 26-27.

Text Authorship:

by Franz Alfred Muth (1839 - 1890), "Die alte Tanne", appears in Waldblumen, in 1. Naturstimmen [3rd edition] [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Joseph (Gabriel) Rheinberger (1839 - 1901), "Die alte Tanne", op. 131 (Sechs Gesänge) no. 2 (1882), stanzas 1-3 [ SSAA chorus ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Corien Sleeswijk) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The old fir tree", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2019-08-24
Line count: 24
Word count: 84

The old fir tree

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

  Solitary in the depths of the forest
It stands sombrely.
Though the summer breeze,
Though the scent of wildflowers
Waft gently about it;
It stands sombrely.

  Solitary in the depths of the forest
It stands sombrely.
Birds swarm about it,
Children surround it with noise;
As if in prayer
It stands sombrely.

  Solitary in the bright ground 
It stands sombrely:
Only make noise and swarm,
Only lament and grieve;
As a coffin I shall nevertheless
Become your resting place.

  Summer breeze, flower scent,
They depart rapidly;
Let go of froth and dream,
Make room for quiet yearning!
When they dissipate,
Learn to understand me!

View text with all available footnotes

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2020 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Franz Alfred Muth (1839 - 1890), "Die alte Tanne", appears in Waldblumen, in 1. Naturstimmen [3rd edition]
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2020-10-14
Line count: 24
Word count: 107