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Zieh nicht so schnell vorüber
An dieser stillen Haide,
Zieh nicht so scheu vorüber
An meinem tiefen Leide,
Du Wolke in der Höh',
Steh still bei meinem Weh!
O nimm auf deine Schwingen
Und trag zu ihr die Kunde:
Wie Schmerz und Groll noch ringen,
Und bluten aus der Wunde,
Die mir mit ihrem Trug
Die Ungetreue schlug.
...
Schlag' Regen an die Scheibe,
Und schlag' an ihre Thüre,
Und sei dem falschen Weibe
Ein Mahner an die Schwüre,
Die sie mir weinend sprach,
Und die sie lächelnd brach.
Und will sie das nicht hören,
So magst von deinem Sitze,
Du, Donner, dich empören,
Dann rüttelt, all' ihr Blitze,
Wenn ihr vorüberzieht,
An ihrem Augenlied sic!
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,2,4,5 of the original text.
Note provided by Sharon Krebs:
Lenau originally published this poem with a different second stanza, but later he wrote: "Mein Herz eine Waise zu nennen, und obendrein eine verblutende, war von mir weichlich und läppisch, und ich schäme mich sechstausendmal beim Wiederlesen dieser verunglückten Zeilen, denn eben so oft sind sie gedruckt in der Leute Händen." Here is the original second stanza:
Und nimm auf deine Reise Mit fort zu ihr die Kunde: Mein Herz, die arme Waise, Verblutet an der Wunde, Die mir durch ihren Trug Die Ungetreue schlug.
Composition:
- Set to music by Robert Franz (1815 - 1892), "An die Wolke", op. 30 no. 6, published 1857, stanzas 1,2,4,5 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Kistner
Text Authorship:
- by Nikolaus Lenau (1802 - 1850), "An die Wolke", appears in Gedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch, in Heidebilder
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English [singable] (E. S. Willcox) , "The cloud"
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "To the cloud", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Au nuage", copyright © 2011, (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: 2007-09-28
Line count: 30
Word count: 144
Do not scud so quickly
Past this quiet heath,
Do not scud so shyly
Past my deep pain;
You cloud on high,
Stand still at my suffering!
Oh take upon your pinions
This message and carry it to her:
How pain and rancour still wrestle,
And bleed from the wound
That, through her deception,
The unfaithful woman caused me.
...
Beat rain against the window pane,
And beat against her door,
And to the false woman
Be an admonisher, reminding her of the vows
That she spoke to me with weeping,
And that she smilingly broke.
And if she does not wish to hear,
Then from your high seat, you,
Thunder, may rise up,
Then, all ye lightning bolts,
When you pass by,
Buffet at her eyelids!
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,2,4,5 of the original text.
Note provided by Sharon Krebs: Lenau originally published this poem with a different second stanza and later wrote what can be translated as: "To call my heart an orphan, and on top of that, an orphan who is bleeding to death, was weak and silly of me, and I am ashamed six thousand times when I reread these unsuccessful lines, for that is exactly how many times they are in peoples' hands in published form."
Translation of the second stanza follows:
And upon your journey take Along this message to her: My heart, the poor orphan, Is bleeding to death from the wound That, through her deception, The unfaithful woman caused me.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2020 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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Nikolaus Lenau (1802 - 1850), "An die Wolke", appears in Gedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch, in Heidebilder
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This text was added to the website: 2020-04-30
Line count: 30
Word count: 155