by Emanuel Geibel (1815 - 1884)
Translation © by David Kenneth Smith

Liebeszauber
 (Sung text for setting by C. Schumann)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FIN FRE
Die Liebe saß als Nachtigall
Im Rosenbusch und sang,
Es flog der wundersüße Schall
Den grünen Wald entlang.

Und wie er klang, da stieg im Kreis
Aus tausend Kelchen Duft,
Und alle Wipfel rauschten leis',
Und leiser ging die Luft;

Die Bäche schwiegen, die noch kaum
Geplätschert von den Höh'n,
Die Rehlein standen wie im Traum
Und lauschten dem Getön.

Und hell und immer heller floß
Der Sonne Glanz herein,
Um Blumen, Wald und Schlucht ergoß
Sich goldig rother Schein.

Ich aber zog den Weg entlang
Und hörte auch den Schall --
Ach, was seit jener Stund' ich sang,
War nur sein Wiederhall.

Composition:

    Set to music by Clara Schumann (1819 - 1896), "Liebeszauber", op. 13 no. 3 (1840-3), published 1844 [ voice and piano ], from Sechs Lieder, no. 3, Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel
        Score: IMSLP [external link]

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (David Kenneth Smith) , no title, copyright © 1996, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Erkki Pullinen) , "Rakkauden taikaa", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Magie de l'amour", copyright © 2008, (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 between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 104

Now Love once like a nightingale
 (Sung text translation for setting by C. Schumann)
 See original
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Now Love once like a nightingale
in rosebush perched and sang;
with sweetest wonder flew the sound
along the woodland green.

And as it rang, there rose a scent
from ring of thousand buds,
and all the treetops rustled soft,
and softer blew the air;

The brooklets silenced, scarcely come
by splashing from the heights,
the fawns stood still as if in dream
and listened to the tone.

And bright and ever brighter flowed
the sunbeams down inside,
'round blossoms, wood and gorge it gushed
with golden red sunshine.

I walked along the path that day
and also heard that sound.
Alas! what ever since I've sung
was just its echo faint.

About the headline (FAQ)

Title "Waldesgesang" = "Forest song"

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 1996 by David Kenneth Smith, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., please ask the copyright-holder(s) directly.

    David Kenneth Smith.  Contact: dksmith (AT) geneva.edu


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Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 112