by Friedrich Leopold, Graf zu Stolberg-Stolberg (1750 - 1819)
Translation © by Geart van der Meer (b. 1944)

Auf dem Wasser zu singen
 (Sung text for setting by F. Schubert)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT DUT ENG ENG FRE FRI ITA POR SPA
Mitten im Schimmer der spiegelnden Wellen
Gleitet, wie Schwäne, der wankende Kahn;
Ach, auf der Freude sanftschimmernden Wellen
Gleitet die Seele dahin wie der Kahn;
Denn von dem Himmel herab auf die Wellen
Tanzet das Abendroth rund um den Kahn.

Ueber den Wipfeln des westlichen Haines
Winket uns freundlich der röthliche Schein;
Unter den Zweigen des östlichen Haines
Säuselt der Kalmus im röthlichen Schein;
Freude des Himmels und Ruhe des Haines
Athmet die Seel' im erröthenden Schein.

Ach, es entschwindet mit thauigem Flügel
Mir auf den wiegenden Wellen die Zeit.
Morgen entschwindet mit schimmerndem Flügel
Wieder wie gestern und heute die Zeit,
Bis ich auf höherem strahlenden Flügel
Selber entschwinde der wechselnden Zeit.

Composition:

    Set to music by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Auf dem Wasser zu singen", op. 72, D 774 (1823), published 1823

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Op het water te zingen", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Geart van der Meer) , "Op het water te zingen", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Lynn Thompson) , "In the middle of the shimmer of the reflecting waves", copyright © 1997, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English [singable] (Shula Keller) , "To sing on the water", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRI Frisian (Geart van der Meer) , "Op it wetter te sjongen", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Da cantare sull'acqua", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • POR Portuguese (Português) (Paulo Albuquerque de Noronha) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Elisa Rapado) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 115

Language: Frisian  after the German (Deutsch) 
Midden op 't skimerich spegeljend wetter 
Driuwt sa't in swaan glydt myn widzjende boat:
Ach, op it lok fan it opljochtsjend wetter
Gliidt ek de siel as in sljurkjende boat;
Want fan de himel falt dûnsjend oer 't wetter
Trinten it jûntydsread ringsom myn boat. 

Fier yn it westen gloeit boppe de beammen
Freonlik en fredich it readglânzjend ljocht;
En oan de oare wâl ûnder de beammen
Sûzelje reiden yn 't readglânzjend ljocht;
Himelsk gelok en de frede fan beammen
Azemt de siel yn it readgloeiend ljocht.

Ach, hoe ûntgliidt mei syn dauwiete wjokken 
Mij op it weagjende wetter de tiid;
Moarn wer ûntgliidt mij op glânzjende wjokken
Krektlyk as hjoed en as juster de tiid,
Oant ik op hegere blinkende wjokken 
Sels ek ûntgliidt oan de flechtige tiid.

Text Authorship:

  • by Geart van der Meer (b. 1944), "Op it wetter te sjongen", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


Researcher for this page: Geart van der Meer

This text was added to the website: 2013-04-16
Line count: 18
Word count: 129