Journey to Hades | The boat is creaking, cypress trees are whispering

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by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836)

Translation © by Malcolm Wren

Fahrt zum Hades

(Sung text for setting by F. Schubert)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG ENG FRE ITA

Der Nachen dröhnt, Cypressen flüstern -
Horch, Geister reden schaurig drein;
Bald werd' ich am Gestad', dem düstern,
Weit von der schönen Erde seyn.

Da leuchten Sonne nicht, noch Sterne,
Da tönt kein Lied, da ist kein Freund.
Empfang die letzte Thräne, o Ferne!
Die dieses müde Auge weint.

Schon schau ich die blassen Danaiden,
Den fluchbeladnen Tantalus;
Es murmelt todesschwangern Frieden,
Vergessenheit, dein alter Fluß.

Vergessen nenn' ich zwiefach Sterben,
Was ich mit höchster Kraft gewann,
Verlieren - wieder es erwerben -
Wann enden diese Qualen? wann?

Composition:

Franz Peter Schubert

Text Authorship:

by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836), "Fahrt zum Hades"

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Viatge a Hades", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Vaart naar de Hades", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (T. P. (Peter) Perrin) , "Journey to Hades", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , "Journey to Hades", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Voyage vers Hadès", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Viaggio nell'Ade", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Richard Morris , Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 85

Journey to Hades

(Sung text translation for setting by F. Schubert)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

The boat is creaking, cypress trees are whispering -
Listen, there are also spirits making bloodcurdling speeches;
I shall soon be on that dismal shore,
Where I shall be far away from the beautiful Earth.

Over there neither the sun nor the stars shed any light,
No song can be heard there, there is no friend there.
Distance, receive the last tear
That this tired eye will ever shed.

I can already behold the pale Danaids
And Tantalus, weighed down with curses;
Oblivion is murmuring a peace that is pregnant with death,
Oblivion - your ancient river Lethe.

I consider oblivion to be a double death:
What I obtained using the highest skill
Has to be lost - and it has to be re-acquired - 
When are these torments going to end? When?

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2018 by Malcolm Wren, (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 Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836), "Fahrt zum Hades"
- Go to the text page.

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This text was added to the website: 2018-03-10
Line count: 16
Word count: 129