by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Frage
 (Sung text for setting by M. Bruch)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA
Choose for Diff
Liebliches Kind,
Kannst du mir sagen,
Warum einsam und stumm 
Zärtliche Seelen
Immer sich quälen,
Selbst sich betrügen,
Und ihr Vergnügen
Immer nur ahnen,
Da wo sie nicht sind?
Kannst du mir's sagen,
Liebliches Kind?

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Serenade (Lieftallig kind)", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , no title, copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Mia cara fanciulla", 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: 12
Word count: 41

Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Lovely child,
can you tell me,
why, alone and mute,
tender souls
always torture themselves,
why they beguile themselves,
and why they seem to suspect
that their pleasures 
will be where they are not;
can you not tell me this,
lovely child?

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Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust

    Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:

    Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
    from the LiederNet Archive

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.


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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 47