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Es war mal ein Ritter trübselig und stumm,
Mit hohlen, schneeweißen Wangen;
Er schwankte und schlenderte schlotternd herum,
In dumpfen Träumen befangen.
Er war so hölzern, so täppisch, so links,
Die Blümlein und Mägdlein, die kicherten rings,
Wenn er stolpernd vorbeigegangen.
Oft saß er im finstersten Winkel zu Haus;
Er hatt sich vor Menschen verkrochen.
Da streckte er sehnend die Arme aus,
Doch hat er kein Wörtlein gesprochen.
Kam aber die Mitternachtstunde heran,
Ein seltsames Singen und Klingen begann -
An die Türe da hört er es pochen.
...
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,2 of the original text.
Composition:
- Set to music by Héloïse Werner (b. 1991), "Es war einmal ein Ritter trübselig und stumm", 2023, stanzas 1,2 [ voice and piano ], from The Knight's Dream, no. 1, confirmed with a CD booklet
Text Authorship:
- by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), "Prolog", appears in Buch der Lieder, in Lyrisches Intermezzo
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Louis Untermeyer) , "There once was a knight", appears in Poems of Heinrich Heine, first published 1917
- FRE French (Français) (Charles Beltjens) , "Prologue", appears in Intermezzo lyrique, first published 1827
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor] , Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2008-04-01
Line count: 42
Word count: 261
Il était une fois un chevalier morne et silencieux,
Aux joues creuses et blanches comme neige ;
Il vacillait et déambulait en flageolant
Désorienté par des rêves confus.
Il était comme de bois, si empoté, si gauche,
Que fleurettes et jeunettes gloussaient alentour,
Quand il passait devant elles en trébuchant.
Il se tenait souvent dans le coin le plus obscur de la maison ;
Il s'était claquemuré à l'abri des hommes.
Parfois il étendait les bras en soupirant,
Pourtant ne prononçait pas le moindre mot.
Mais quand arrivait l'heure de minuit,
S'élevaient un son et un chant étrange –
Il entend alors frapper à la porte.
...
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Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,2 of the original text.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2016 by Pierre Mathé, (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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), "Prolog", appears in Buch der Lieder, in Lyrisches Intermezzo
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This text was added to the website: 2016-12-02
Line count: 42
Word count: 312