Longing to forget | Lethe! Burst the fetters of your banks, pour

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by Nikolaus Lenau (1802 - 1850)

Translation © by Peter Palmer

Sehnsucht nach Vergessen

(Sung text for setting by A. Ritter)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Lethe! Brich die Fesseln des Ufers, gieße 
Aus der Schattenwelt mir herüber deine 
Welle, daß den Wunden der bangen Seel' ich
  Trinke Genesung.

Frühling kommt mit Duft und Gesang und Liebe,
Will wie sonst mir sinken ans Herz; doch schlägt ihm 
Nicht das Herz entgegen wie sonst. -- Lethe! 
  Sende die Welle!

Composition:

Alexander Ritter

Text Authorship:

by Nikolaus Lenau (1802 - 1850), "Sehnsucht nach Vergessen", written 1822, appears in Gedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch, in Oden

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English (Peter Palmer) , "Longing to forget", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Désir d'oubli", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 54

Longing to forget

(Sung text translation for setting by A. Ritter)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Lethe! Burst the fetters of your banks, pour 
your wave across to me from the world of shadows,
That I may drink a cure for the wounds 
  Of a frightened soul.

Spring brings fragrance and song and love,
Wanting as usual to fall on my breast;
But my heart does not beat its usual response. -- O Lethe!
  Send the wave!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2011 by Peter Palmer, (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 Nikolaus Lenau (1802 - 1850), "Sehnsucht nach Vergessen", written 1822, appears in Gedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch, in Oden
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This text was added to the website: 2011-05-14
Line count: 8
Word count: 60