Hvem rider så sent gjennom natt og vind?

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by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

Translation © by Marianne Beate Kielland

Erlkönig

(Sung text for setting by L. Spohr)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT DUT ENG ENG ENG FIN FRE FRI ITA ITA LIT NOR

Wer reitet so spät durch Nacht und Wind?
Es ist der Vater mit seinem Kind;
Er hält den Knaben wohl in dem Arm,
Er hält ihn sicher, er hält ihn warm.
 
Mein Sohn, was birgst du so scheu dein Gesicht? -
Siehst, Vater, du den Erlkönig nicht?
Den Erlenkönig mit Kron' und Schweif?
Mein Sohn, es ist ein Nebelstreif. -
 
»Du liebes Kind, komm, geh mit mir!
Gar schöne Spiele spiel' ich mit dir;
Viel bunte Blumen sind am Strand;
Mein'  Mutter hat manch' güldnes Gewand.«
 
Mein Vater, mein Vater, und hörst du nicht,
Was Erlenkönig mir heimlich verspricht? -
Sey ruhig, bleibe ruhig, mein Kind;
In dürren Blättern säuselt der Wind. -
 
»Willst, feiner Knabe, du mit mir gehn?
Meine Töchter sollen dich warten schön;
Meine Töchter führen den nächtlichen Reihn,
Und wiegen und tanzen und singen dich ein.«
 
Mein Vater, mein Vater, und siehst du nicht dort
Erlkönigs Töchter am düsteren Ort? -
Mein Sohn, mein Sohn, ich seh' es genau;
Es scheinen die alten Weiden so grau. -
 
»Ich liebe dich, mich reizt deine schöne Gestalt;
Und bist du nicht willig, so brauch' ich Gewalt.« -
Mein Vater, mein Vater, jetzt faßt er mich an!
Erlkönig hat mir ein Leids gethan! -
 
Dem Vater grauset's, er reitet geschwind,
Er hält im Arme das ächzende Kind,
Erreicht den Hof mit Mühe und Noth;
In seinen Armen das Kind war todt.

First published in 1782 in Goethe's Singspiel "Die Fischerin" in the introductory scene (Dortchen's song).

Composition:

Louis [Ludwig] Spohr

Sechs Lieder für Bariton mit Begleitung von Violine und Klavier

Text Authorship:

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Erlkönig", written 1782, first published 1782

See other settings of this text.

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
CZE Czech (Čeština) (Otokar Fischer) , "Král duchů"
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Erlkoning", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Geart van der Meer) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Walter Meyer) , "Who's riding so late through night, so wild?", copyright © 1995, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Knut W. Barde) , "The Elfking", copyright © 1998, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Walter Scott, Sir) , "The Erl-King"
ENG English (Uri Liebrecht) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Erkki Pullinen) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le roi des aulnes", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRI Frisian (Geart van der Meer) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Walter A. Aue) , "Elf-King", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Il Re degli Elfi", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
NOR Norwegian (Bokmål) (Marianne Beate Kielland) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Ofer Sheinberg , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 32
Word count: 240

Alvekongen

(Sung text translation for setting by L. Spohr)

See original

Language: Norwegian (Bokmål) after the German (Deutsch)

Hvem rider så sent gjennom natt og vind?
Det er en far med sitt barn;
Han har guttungen godt i armene,
holder sikkert om ham, holder ham varm.

”Min sønn, hva gjør ditt ansikt så engstelig?”
”Ser du ikke, far, alvekongen?
Alvekongen med krone og hale?”
”Min sønn, det er kun et streif av tåke.”

”Du kjære barn, kom, gå med meg!
Jeg skal leke morsomme leker med deg;
På stranden er det mange vakre blomster,
min mor har mange gylne drakter.”

”Min far, min far, hører du ikke
hva alvekongen hviskende lover meg?”
”Vær rolig, forbli rolig, mitt barn:
Det er bare vinden som suser i de tørre bladene.”

”Vil, vakre barn, du med meg gå?
Min datter skal pleie deg godt;
Min datter leder de nattlige rekker
og vugger og danser og synger deg i søvn.”

”Min far, min far, ser du ikke der borte
alvekongens datter ved den dystre landsbyen?”
”Min sønn, min sønn, jeg ser nøyaktig hva det er:
Det er de gamle seljene som skinner i grått.”

”Jeg elsker deg, din vakre skikkelse frister meg;
Og er du ikke villig, bruker jeg vold.”
”Min far, min far, nå tar han meg!
Alvekongen har gjort meg ondt!”

Faren grøsser, han rider raskt,
og holder i armene det stønnende barn,
han når gården med møye og nød:
I hans armer er barnet dødt.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to Norwegian (Bokmål) copyright © 2024 by Marianne Beate Kielland, (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 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Erlkönig", written 1782, first published 1782
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This text was added to the website: 2024-02-17
Line count: 32
Word count: 226