You ask me, maiden, what the west wind whisperingly

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by Adolf Friedrich, Graf von Schack (1815 - 1894)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Das Geheimnis

(Sung text for setting by R. Strauss)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA

Du fragst mich, Mädchen, was flüsternd der West
Vertraue den Blüthenglocken?
Warum von Zweige zu Zweig im Geäst
Die zwitschernden Vögel  ...  locken?
 
Warum an Knospe die Knospe sich schmiegt,
Und Wellen mit Wellen zerfließen,
Und dem Mondstrahl, der auf den Kelchen sich wiegt,
Die Violen der Nacht sich erschließen?
 
O thörichtes Fragen! Wem Wissen frommt,
Nicht kann ihm die Antwort fehlen;
Drum warte, mein Kind, bis die Liebe kommt,
Die wird dir Alles erzählen!

Composition:

Richard Georg Strauss

Text Authorship:

by Adolf Friedrich, Graf von Schack (1815 - 1894), "Das Geheimniß"

See other settings of this text.

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le secret", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Il segreto", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Alberto Pedrotti , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 76

You ask me, maiden, what the west wind...

(Sung text translation for setting by R. Strauss)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

You ask me, maiden, what the west wind whisperingly
Confides to the flower-bells of the blossoms?
Wherefore from branch to branch in the boughs
The chirping birds entice?
 
Why bud snuggles up to bud,
And wave dissolves into wave,
And why the violas of the night open themselves
To the moonbeam that disports itself upon their calyces?
 
Oh foolish questioning!  He who benefits from knowledge
Cannot lack an answer to your questions;
Therefore wait, my child, until Love comes,
Love shall tell you everything.

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Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 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 Friedrich, Graf von Schack (1815 - 1894), "Das Geheimniß"
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This text was added to the website: 2014-05-08
Line count: 12
Word count: 87