Gondola Song | The silvery foam drips from the oar

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by Adolf Böttger (1815 - 1870)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Gondellied

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Vom Ruder tropft der Silberschaum,
Die Gondel schaukelt her und hin 
Und d'rin in süßem Sommertraum,
Wiegst Du Dich, leichte Schifferin, 
So ganz allein, so ganz allein? --
Die Wog' ist falsch, o nimm mich ein,
Nicht kos' ich wie die Fluth mit Dir,
Bin ein getreuer Gondolier!

Es küßt den vollen, rothen Mund 
Leichtsinnig Dir der Mond so bleich,
Du blickst hinab zum Meeresgrund;
Macht Dir das kleine Herzchen weich
Sein kalter Schein, sein kalter Schein? --
Der Mond ist falsch, o nimm mich ein, 
Nicht kos' ich wie der Mond mit dir,
Bin ein getreuer Gondolier.

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Confirmed with Meyer's Groschen-Bibliothek der Deutschen Classiker für alle Stände, Einhundertzweiundneunzigstes Bändchen, Anthologie aus den Gedichten von Adolf Böttger, Hildburghausen: Druck vom Bibliographischen Institut; New York: Herrmann J. Meyer, [1870], pages 11-12.

Note: The published poem contained an error in line 3 ("Sommetrraum" instead of "Sommertraum"); it has been corrected above.

Text Authorship:

by Adolf Böttger (1815 - 1870), "Gondellied" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

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

This text was added to the website: 2026-02-03
Line count: 16
Word count: 98

Gondola Song

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

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

The silvery foam drips from the oar,
The gondola rocks back and forth
And within it, lost in a sweet summer dream,
You, light sailor-girl, rock yourself,
Thus all alone, thus all alone? --
The wave is false, oh take me aboard,
I shall not dally with you as the waters do,
I am a faithful gondolier!

The moon irresponsibly kisses
Your full red lips and turns them pale,
You gaze down to the bottom of the sea;
Does its cold radiance, its cold radiance
Soften your little heart? --
The moon is false, oh take me aboard,
I shall not dally with you as the moon does,
I am a faithful gondolier!

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Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2026 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 Adolf Böttger (1815 - 1870), "Gondellied"
- Go to the text page.

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This text was added to the website: 2026-04-07
Line count: 16
Word count: 112