Row softly here | LiederNet

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810 - 1876)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Venetianisches Lied I

(Sung text for setting by R. Schumann)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch) after the English

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA

Leis' rudern hier, 
mein Gondolier! 
Die Flut vom Ruder sprühn so leise 
laß, daß sie uns nur 
vernimmt, zu der wir zieh'n!
O könnte, wie er schauen kann, 
der Himmel reden -- traun,
Er spräche vieles wohl von dem, 
was Nachts die Sterne schau'n!

Nun rasten hier, 
mein Gondolier! 
Ins Boot die Ruder! sacht!
Sacht auf zum Balkone 
schwing' ich mich, 
doch du hältst unten Wacht,
O, wollten halb so eifrig 
nur dem Himmel wir uns weih'n,
Als schöner Weiber Diensten -- trau'n, 
wir könnten Engel sein!

Note: in Freiligrath's published form, this is a poem of two stanzas with four lines each.

Composition:

Robert Schumann

Myrten

IMSLP

Text Authorship:

by Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810 - 1876), "Row gently here"

Based on:

a text in English by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852), "Row gently here", subtitle: "Venetian air", appears in National Airs, first published 1822
- Go to the text page.

See other settings of this text.

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Marta Garcia Cadena) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Venetiaans lied I: Zacht roeien hier", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Chant vénitien I", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-19
Line count: 19
Word count: 86

Venetian song I

(Sung text translation for setting by R. Schumann)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Row softly here,
My gondolier!
Let the flood spray from the oar so quietly
That only she perceives us --
She, to whom we travel!
Oh if Heaven could speak
As it can see -- truly,
It would speak much of that
Which the stars see at night!
 
Now rest here,
My gondolier!
Take the oars into the boat! Gently!
Gently up to the balcony
I swing myself,
But you keep watch down below,
Oh, if only half as assiduously
We would dedicate ourselves to Heaven,
As we do to the service of beautiful women -- truly,
We could be angels!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 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 Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810 - 1876), "Row gently here"
- Go to the text page.

Based on:

a text in English by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852), "Row gently here", subtitle: "Venetian air", appears in National Airs, first published 1822
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2016-02-01
Line count: 19
Word count: 98