Row gently here | Gondellied | Leis' rudern hier

by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852)

Translation by Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810 - 1876)

Row gently here

Language: English

    Row gently here,
    My gondolier,
  So softly wake the tide,
    That not an ear, 
    On earth, may hear,
  But hers to whom we glide.
Had Heaven but tongues to speak, as well
  As starry eyes to see,
Oh, think what tales 'twould have to tell
  Of wand'ring youths like me!

    Now rest thee here,
    My gondolier,
  Hush, hush, for up I go,
    To climb yon light
    Balcony's height,
  While thou keep'st watch below.
Ah! did we take for Heaven above
  But half such pains as we
Take, day and night, for woman's love,
  What Angels we should be!

About the headline (FAQ)

See also Marceline Desbordes-Valmore's Barcarolle imitée de Thomas Moore.

Text Authorship:

by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852), "Row gently here", subtitle: "Venetian air", appears in National Airs, first published 1822

See other settings of this text.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-19
Line count: 20
Word count: 99

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

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):

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

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