Tief im kalten Winter

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by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894)

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

In the bleak midwinter

(Sung text for setting by M. Trotta)

See original

Language: English

Our translations: DUT FRI GER

 In the bleak mid-winter
 Frosty wind made moan;
Earth grew hard as iron,
 Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
  ... ,
In the bleak mid-winter
 Long, long ago.

 ...  heaven cannot hold Him,
 Nor earth sustain,
 ... 
 When He comes to reign:
 ... 

 ... 

What can I give Him
 Poor as I am? --
If I were a Shepherd
 I would bring a lamb,
If I were a Wise Man
 I would do my part,--
 ...  what I can I give Him, --
 Give my heart.

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2,5 of the original text.

First published in Scribner's Monthly, January 1872

Composition:

Michael John Trotta

Text Authorship:

by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894), "A Christmas Carol"

See other settings of this text.

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

DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Geart van der Meer) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRI Frisian (Geart van der Meer) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 40
Word count: 177

Tief im kalten Winter

(Sung text translation for setting by M. Trotta)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch) after the English

Tief im kalten Winter
brach ein Sturm herein;
Erde lag wie Eisen.
Wasser wie Gestein;
Schnee ging nieder, bergeschwer,
Schnee auf Schnee lag schwer,
tief im kalten Winter
lang ist’s her.

Nicht fassen kann der Himmel, 
nicht halten Ihn die Erd’,
Erde, Himmel wird vergeh’n,
wenn Gott wiederkehrt:
tief im kalten Winter
ein Stall die Herberg’ ist
dem Herrn in Seiner Allmacht,
Jesus Christ.

 ... 

Was kann ich schenken,
arm, der ich bin? -
Wäre ich ein Hirte,
gäb’ ein Lamm ich hin,
wär ich klug, dann wüsst' ich’s,
fänd’ es anderwärts.
Doch was ich kann, das schenk’ ich -
schenk’ mein Herz.

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Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2,5 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

Singable translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2014 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
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Based on:

a text in English by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894), "A Christmas Carol"
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This text was added to the website: 2014-12-30
Line count: 40
Word count: 159