by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Schäfers Klagelied
 (Sung text for setting by E. Naumann)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG ENG FRE ITA ITA RUS
Da droben auf jenem Berge,
Da steh' ich tausendmal,
An meinem Stabe gebogen
Und schaue hinab in das Thal.

Dann folg' ich der weidenden Herde,
Mein Hündchen bewahret mir sie.
Ich bin herunter gekommen
Und weiß doch selber nicht wie.

Da stehet von schönen Blumen
Die ganze Wiese so voll.
Ich breche sie, ohne zu wissen,
Wem ich sie geben soll.

Und Regen, Sturm und Gewitter
Verpass' ich unter dem Baum.
Die Thüre dort bleibet verschlossen;
Doch alles ist leider ein Traum.

Es stehet ein Regenbogen
Wohl über jenem Haus!
Sie aber ist weggezogen,
Und weit in das Land hinaus.

Hinaus in das Land und weiter,
Vielleicht gar über die See.
Vorüber, ihr Schafe, vorüber!
Dem Schäfer ist gar so weh.

Composition:

    Set to music by Emil Naumann (1827 - 1888), "Schäfers Klagelied", op. 29a no. 2, published 1866 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Bote und Bock; note: this opus was reused for another piece by another publishing company in April 1866 so we have used an 'a' beside the opus to distinguish them

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Klaaglied van de herder", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "High upon that mountain", copyright ©
  • ENG English (Leon Malinofsky) , "Shepherd's lament", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Complainte du berger", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Su quella montagna lassù", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Elegia del pastore", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • RUS Russian (Русский) (Elena Kalinina) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


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

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 131

Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
High upon that mountain,
I have stood a thousand times,
bowed over my staff
and gazing down into the valley.

I have followed my grazing flock,
my hound standing guard for me.
I have come down somehow
and I do not myself know how.

Full of lovely flowers stands
the whole meadow.
I pick them without knowing
whom I should give them to.

And rain, storm and thunder -
beneath the tree I wait for it to pass.
The door there remains closed,
for all is unfortunately a dream.

There stands a rainbow
arching over that house!
But she has gone,
and far away to distant reaches.

To distant reaches and further,
perhaps even across the sea.
It's all over, my sheep, it is simply all over!
It is such woe for your shepherd.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust

    Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:

    Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
    from the LiederNet Archive

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.


Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 133