Ah, if I could only find a trace of you

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by Klaus Groth (1819 - 1899)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Der Wald ist kahl

(Sung text for setting by G. Jenner)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

 ... 

Der Wald ist kahl und öd der Steig,
Und meine Seele trüb' und schwer
Die Blätter modern in dem Teich,
Es grünt nicht mehr, es blüht nicht mehr.

Ach schallte mir dein leichter Gang
Noch durch den Wald, wie Vogeltritt
Mir brächt er Blumen und Gesang
Und Frühling mit,
Noch durch den Wald, wie Vogeltritt den Frühling mit!

Mir brächt er, was so lieblich war,
Wie Sonnenduft, wie Mondenlicht,
Er brächte mir dein Augenpaar,
Dein Angesicht, dein Angesicht!

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 2-4 of the original text.

Note: Hofmeister indicates "Der Wald ist kalt" as the incipit of Homberg's setting, as Challier does for Jenner's; but these appear to be typos. The Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin card catalogue shows "kahl" for Homberg's incipit, and the score of Jenner's setting shows "kahl" in the music as well.

Composition:

Gustav Jenner

Text Authorship:

by Klaus Groth (1819 - 1899), no title, written 1859

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
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2011-05-12
Line count: 16
Word count: 105

The woods are bare

(Sung text translation for setting by G. Jenner)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

 ... 

The forest is leafless and desolate the path,
And I feel bleak and I feel weighed down.
The leaves are mouldering in the pond,
No green any longer, no blossoming any longer.

Ah, if I could only hear your light footfall
Still sounding through the forest like the stepping of a bird
It would bring me flowers and singing
It would bring me springtime, springtime!

It would bring me that which was so lovely,
Like Sun-scent, like moonlight,
It would bring me your eyes,
Your face, your face!

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 2-4 of the original text.

Translated titles:
"Dein Angesicht" = "Your face"
"Der Wald ist kahl" = "The woods are bare"

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 Klaus Groth (1819 - 1899), no title, written 1859
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This text was added to the website: 2015-10-13
Line count: 16
Word count: 123