Have you heard the old fairy tale

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by (Karl) Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter (1816 - 1873)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Die Fischerkinder

(Sung text for setting by J. Kinkel)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Hast du von den Fischerkindern
Das alte Mährchen vernommen,
Die auf dem schwanken Kahne
Allein ins Meer geschwommen?

Sie pflückten sich Wasserrosen,
Sie sangen sich Lieder viele,
Sie herzten und küßten einander
Im süßen Wechselspiele.

Sie hatten den Strand verloren,
Als sich der Tag entschwungen,
Sie kehrten nimmer wieder,
Ihr Name ist verklungen.--

Und weißt du: wir sind die Kinder,
Die Maid du, ich der Knabe,
Das Meer ist unsre Liebe,
Die wird uns wohl zum Grabe!

Note for stanza 4 line 2: in the upper voice, Kinkel has "Die Maid bin ich, du der Knabe" and in the lower voice: "Die Maid bist du, ich der Knabe".

Composition:

Johanna Kinkel

Text Authorship:

by (Karl) Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter (1816 - 1873), appears in Dichtungen eines Rheinischen Poeten, in 1. Mein Herz ist am Rheine: Liederbuch, in 3. Melodien

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 81

Have you heard the old fairy tale

(Sung text translation for setting by J. Kinkel)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Have you heard the old fairy tale
About the fisherman’s children?
The ones who went out to sea
Alone in a rickety boat?

They picked water-lilies for each other,
They sang each other many songs,
They embraced and kissed each other
In sweet exchange.

They had lost sight of the shore
When the day departed,
They never returned,
Their names have been forgotten. --

And do you know: we are the children,
I am the maiden, you the lad
The sea is our love,
It shall likely become our grave!

About the headline (FAQ)

Translated titles:
"Ahnung" = "Premonition"
"Von den Fischerkindern" = "About the fisherman’s children"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2015 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by (Karl) Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter (1816 - 1873), appears in Dichtungen eines Rheinischen Poeten, in 1. Mein Herz ist am Rheine: Liederbuch, in 3. Melodien
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This text was added to the website: 2015-01-19
Line count: 16
Word count: 90