by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
Translation © by David Paley

Blow, blow thou winter wind
 (Sung text for setting by C. Parry)
 See original
Language: English 
Our translations:  CHI GER ITA ITA
Blow, blow thou winter wind,
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not so keen
Although thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude.
Heigh ho! sing heigh ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then, heigh ho! the holly!
This life is most jolly.

Freeze, freeze thou bitter sky,
Thou dost not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp
As friend remember'd not.
Heigh ho! sing heigh ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then, heigh ho! the holly!
This life is most jolly.

Note: In Steele's score, "Heigh" is spelled "Hey"

Composition:

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CHI Chinese (中文) [singable] (Dr Huaixing Wang) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Paavo Cajander)
  • FRE French (Français) (François Pierre Guillaume Guizot)
  • GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (David Paley) , "Stürm, stürm du Winterwind!", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Soffia, soffia vento invernale", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Paolo Montanari) , "Soffia, soffia, vento d'inverno", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Ted Perry

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 118

Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
Stürm, stürm du Winterwind!
Denn du bist nicht gesinnt,
So falsch wie Menschen sind
Und nicht so scharf dein Zwist
Weil du unsichtbar bist
Sei es dein Hauch so wüst.
Nun ja! Sing! Nun ja! An den grünen Zweigen
Die Freundschaft ist Täuschung, die Liebe bloss Wahnsinn:
So, nun ja! Nicht weigern!
Das Leben ist frohsinn.
 
Friere, doch du Himmelsgrim!
So tief nicht dein Gebiss,
Als Wohl, das man vergisst 
Obwohl der Flut vereist,
Dein Dorn ist nicht so dreist,
Wie er, der Freundschaft löst.
Nun ja! Sing! Nun ja! An den grünen Zweigen
Die Freundschaft ist Täuschung, die Liebe bloss Wahnsinn:
So, nun ja! Nicht weigern!
Das Leben ist frohsinn.

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2012 by David Paley, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., please ask the copyright-holder(s) directly.

    David Paley.  Contact: davidpaley (AT) btinternet (DOT) com


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This text was added to the website: 2012-02-14
Line count: 20
Word count: 111