Who is at my bedroom door?

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by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858)

Translation © by David K. Smythe

Unterm Fenster

(Sung text for setting by R. Schumann)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch) after the Scottish (Scots)

Our translations: DUT ENG ENG FRE

Wer ist vor meiner Kammerthür? --
    "Ich bin es," --  ... 
Geh, schier dich fort! was suchst du hier? --
    "Gar Süßes!" --  ... 
Du kommst im Dunkeln, wie ein Dieb. --
    "So fang mich!" --  ... 
Du hast mich wohl ein wenig lieb? --
     "Von Herzen!" --  ... 

Und öffnet' ich nach deinem Wunsch! --
    "O öffne!" --  ... 
Da wär ja Schlaf und Ruhe hin; --
    "Laß hin sein!" --  ... 
Ein Tauber du im Taubenschlag! --
    "Beim Täubchen!" --  ... 
Du girrtest bis zum hellen Tag. --
    "Wohl möglich!" --  ... 

Nein! nimmer lass' ich dich herein! --
    "Thu's dennoch!" --  ... 
Du stelltest wohl dich täglich ein? --
    "Mit Freuden!" --  ... 
Wie keck du bist und was du wagst! --
    "So darf ich?" --  ... 
Daß du's nur keiner Seele sagst! --
    "Gewiß nicht!" --  ...

Composition:

Robert Schumann

Text Authorship:

by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Der kecke Finlay"

Based on:

a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Indeed will I, quo' Findlay", first published 1783
- Go to the text page.

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

DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (David K. Smythe) , no title, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-20
Line count: 24
Word count: 155

At my door

(Sung text translation for setting by R. Schumann)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Who is at my bedroom door?
It's me!
Go, be off with you, what do you want here?
Really sweet!
You come in the dark like a thief.
So catch me!
Do you have a little love for me?
With all my heart!

And if I opened the door as you wish?
O open it!
That would be the end of sleep and peace!
Let them be!
Are you a dove in a dovecot?
With my little dove!
Will you coo until dawn?
Very possibly!

No, I will never let you in!
You must nonetheless!
Would you likely appear every day?
With pleasure!
How cheeky you are and how dare you!
So may I?
As long as you tell not a soul!
Of course not!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by David K. Smythe, (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 Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Der kecke Finlay"
- Go to the text page.

Based on:

a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Indeed will I, quo' Findlay", first published 1783
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website:
Line count: 24
Word count: 125