by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)
Translation © by Salvador Pila

Es war ein alter König
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Available translation(s): CAT ENG FRE
Es war ein alter König,
sein Herz war schwer, sein [Haupt]1 war grau;
der arme alte König,
er nahm eine junge Frau.

Es war ein [schöner]2 Page,
blond war sein Haupt, leicht war sein Sinn;
er trug die seid'ne Schleppe
der jungen Königin.

Kennst du das alte Liedchen?
Es klingt so süß, es klingt so trüb!
Sie mußten beide sterben,
sie hatten sich viel zu lieb.

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Diepenbrock: "Haar"
2 Zemlinsky: "junger"

Authorship:

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

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "There was an old king", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Il était un vieux roi", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Joost van der Linden) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 66

Hi havia un rei molt vell
Language: Catalan (Català)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Hi havia un rei molt vell,
el seu cor feixuc, els seus cabells grisos;
el pobre rei ancià
es casà amb una dona jove.

Hi havia un bell patge,
rossos els seus cabells, lleuger el seu seny;
portava la cua del vestit de seda
de la jove reina.

Coneixes la vella cançó?
Sona tan dolça, sona tan trista!
Hagueren de morir tots dos,
car s’estimaven massa.

About the headline (FAQ)

Translation of title "Das alte Lied = "La vella cançó"

Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2015 by Salvador Pila, (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:

 

This text was added to the website: 2015-06-05
Line count: 12
Word count: 66