The girl and the nightingale | Why in the shadows does the nightingale

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by Fernando Periquet (1873 - 1940)

Translation © by David Wyatt

La maja y el ruiseñor

Language: Spanish (Español)

Our translations: ENG GER

¿Por qué entre sombras el ruiseñor 
entona su armonioso cantar?
¿ Acaso al rey del día guarda rencor ?
¿ Y de él quiere algún agravio vengar?
Guarda quizás su pecho oculto tal dolor,
que en la sombra espera alivio hallar,
triste entonando cantos de amor. ¡Ay!
¡Y tal vez alguna flor temblorosa del pudor de amor,
es la esclava enamorada de su cantor!...
 
¡Misterio es el cantar 
que entona envuelto en sombra el ruiseñor!
¡Ah!  Son los amores como flor 
a merced de la mar.
¡Amor! ¡Amor!
¡Ah, no hay cantar sin amor!
¡Ah! ruiseñor: es tu cantar 
himno de amor.

Text Authorship:

by Fernando Periquet (1873 - 1940) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Enrique Granados y Campiña (1867 - 1916), "La maja y el ruiseñor", 1915, first performed 1916 [soprano and orchestra], from the opera Goyescas [ sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (David Wyatt) , "The girl and the nightingale", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) (Elaine Marie Ortiz-Arandes) , "Die Maja und die Nachtigall", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Elaine Marie Ortiz-Arandes , David Wyatt

This text was added to the website: 2014-02-13
Line count: 17
Word count: 101

The girl and the nightingale

Language: English after the Spanish (Español)

Why in the shadows does the nightingale 
Sing its harmonious song?
Perhaps it bears a grudge against the Sun, King of the Day?
Or wants to avenge some grievance?
Perhaps she keeps hidden in her breast such grief
That she hopes to find relief in the shadows,
Sadly singing her songs of love.
Or maybe some flower, trembling with the blushes of love,
Is the love-lorn slave of her song.

Mysterious is the song
Which the nightingale chants, wrapped in the shadows!
Ah!  Love is like a flower 
At the mercy of the sea.
Love!  Love!
Ah, there is no singing without love!
Ah!  Nightingale: this your singing is
A hymn of love.

Text Authorship:

Translation from Spanish (Español) to English copyright © 2014 by David Wyatt, (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 Spanish (Español) by Fernando Periquet (1873 - 1940)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2014-02-13
Line count: 17
Word count: 113