Breezes of the heavens, whither do you travel?

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by Henriette Ottenheimer (1807 - 1883)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Wohin?

(Sung text for setting by K. Rungenhagen)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

  Lüfte des Himmels, wo ziehet ihr hin?
Wir schweben und weben
Ein fröhliches Leben--
In Blättern zu wühlen,
Die Stimmen zu kühlen,
Mit Blumen zu spielen--
So säuseln wir linde herab und herauf,
Und enden im Aether den spielenden Lauf.

  Wogen des Stromes, wo ziehet ihr hin?
Wir rauschende Wellen
Versinken und schwellen,
Wir küssen Gestade,
Und locken zum Bade,
Verschlungene Pfade,
Sie führen uns endlich zum Ziele daher,
Wir finden die Ruhe, die Ruhe im Meer.

  Sehnsucht im Busen, wo ziehest du hin?
Hinauf zu den Sternen
In himmlischen Fernen,
Durch endlose Weiten,
Laß träumrisch mich gleiten,
Ohn' Grübeln und Deuten--
So schwebe ich lächelnd der Ewigkeit zu,
Und finde dort oben, nur oben erst Ruh.

Composition:

Karl Friedrich Rungenhagen

3 Terzette für weibliche Stimmen

Text Authorship:

by Henriette Ottenheimer (1807 - 1883), "Beispiel"

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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

This text was added to the website: 2010-10-12
Line count: 24
Word count: 120

Whither?

(Sung text translation for setting by K. Rungenhagen)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

  Breezes of the heavens, whither do you travel?
We waft and weave
A merry life --
To rootle in leaves,
To cool the voices,
To sport with flowers --
Thus we rustle gently up and down,
And end our playful journey in the aether.

  Waves of the river, whither do you travel?
We rushing waves
Sink and swell,
With kiss the banks,
And entice people to bathe;
Tortuous paths,
They finally lead us on to our goal,
We find rest, rest in the sea.

  Longing in my breast, where do you travel?
Up to the stars
In the faraway places of heaven,
Through endless distances
Let me glide dreamily,
Without pondering and explaining--
Thus I waft smilingly toward eternity,
And find up there, only up there finally find rest.

Translations of title(s):
"Wohin?" = "Whither?"
"Beispiel" = "Example"
"Lüfte des Himmels" = "Breezes of the heavens"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 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 Henriette Ottenheimer (1807 - 1883), "Beispiel"
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This text was added to the website: 2017-07-11
Line count: 24
Word count: 130