Ah God, how am I to sing of how precious my darling was to me

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by Felix Ludwig Julius Dahn (1834 - 1912)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

O Gott, wie sollt' ich singen

(Sung text for setting by A. Ritter)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

O Gott, wie sollt' ich singen, wie lieb mein Schatz mir war:
Ich hab' sie sehen bringen auf einer Totenbahr.
Und will ich nun gedenken ihrer Finger weiß und fein, 
Fällt mir mit vielem Kränken ihr weißes Bahrtuch ein. 
Will durch den Sinn mir gehen ihrer Wangen roter Duft, 
Muß ich die Rosen sehn, die stehn auf ihrer Gruft!

Composition:

Alexander Ritter

Schlichte Weisen: Fünf Gedichte von Felix Dahn

Text Authorship:

by Felix Ludwig Julius Dahn (1834 - 1912), no title, appears in Schlichte Weisen, no. 1

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2019, (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: 2011-07-10
Line count: 6
Word count: 61

Oh God, how could I sing

(Sung text translation for setting by A. Ritter)

See original

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Oh God, how could I sing of how precious my darling was to me:
I have seen her being carried upon a bier.
And when I now want to think of her fingers, white and delicate,
With much grief I am reminded of her white mortcloth.
If the red scent of her cheeks wishes to waft through my mind,
I am forced to see the roses that bloom upon her grave!

Translations of title(s):
"Ach Gott, wie soll ich singen" = "Ah God, how am I to sing"
"O Gott, wie sollt' ich singen" = "Oh God, how could I sing"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2019 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 Felix Ludwig Julius Dahn (1834 - 1912), no title, appears in Schlichte Weisen, no. 1
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This text was added to the website: 2019-12-11
Line count: 6
Word count: 73