LiederNet logo

CONTENTS

×
  • Home | Introduction
  • Composers (20,111)
  • Text Authors (19,486)
  • Go to a Random Text
  • What’s New
  • A Small Tour
  • FAQ & Links
  • Donors
  • DONATE

UTILITIES

  • Search Everything
  • Search by Surname
  • Search by Title or First Line
  • Search by Year
  • Search by Collection

CREDITS

  • Emily Ezust
  • Contributors (1,114)
  • Contact Information
  • Bibliography

  • Copyright Statement
  • Privacy Policy

Follow us on Facebook

×

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

from Volkslieder (Folksongs)
Translation © by Lau Kanen

Ach Elselein, liebes Elselein mein
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE
Ach Elselein, liebes Elselein mein,
Wie gern wär ich bei dir;
So sind zwei tiefe Wasser,
Wohl zwischen dir und mir.

Willt du dich lassen abwenden drum,
Weil sind der Wasser zwei,
Da doch sonst mancher stolzer Knab
Leidt noch so mancherlei.

Ach Lieb, das schrecket mich allein,
Daß ich nicht fahren kann,
Und wenn dann bräch das Schiffelein,
Müßt ich bald [untergahn]1.

Ach nein, das soll geschehen nit,
Ich selbst helf rudern dir,
Damit du nur in kurzer Zeit,
Herzliebster kommst zu mir.

Weil du's, schöns Lieb, denn meinst so gut,
Will ich's gleich wagen frei,
Allein das bitt' ich fleißig dich,
Steh mir ohn' Falschheit bei.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   J. Brahms 

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Deutsche Volkslieder mit ihren Original-Weisen, ed. by Andreas Kretzschmer, Berlin, Vereins-Buchhandlung, 1838, page 32. The first of three in an unnamed set. The second is here and the third is here.

1 Brahms: "untergehn"

Text Authorship:

  • from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , no title [author's text checked 1 time 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 Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Die beiden Königskinder", WoO. 32 no. 15 (1858), published 1926 [ voice and piano ], from Deutsche Volkslieder, no. 15, Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Johann Diebold (1842 - 1929), "Herzliebstes Elselein", op. 32 (Sechs Lieder für vierstimmigen Männerchor) no. 2, published 1890 [ four-part men's chorus a cappella ], Leipzig, Schuberth & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Robert Franz (1815 - 1892), "Ach! Elslein, liebes Elselein mein", published 1875 [ voice and piano ], from Sechs deutsche Lieder aus dem 15 u. 16 Jh, no. 5, Leipzig, Leuckart [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Ferdinand von Hiller (1811 - 1885), "Zwei Wasser", op. 61 (Sechs volkstümliche Lieder für 2 Singstimmen mit Pianoforte (ad lib.), 2tes Heft) no. 4, published 1854 [ vocal duet with piano ], Offenbach, André; note: this may be the wrong text for this title [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Eduard Lassen (1830 - 1904), "Zwei Wasser", published 1904 [ voice and piano ], from Aus des Knaben Wunderhorn : alte Minneweisen und Volkslieder : für eine Singstimme mit Klavierbegleitung bearbeitet von Eduard Lassen, no. 7, note: with many variants not noted [sung text not yet checked]

Set in a modified version by Julius Joseph Maier.

  • Go to the text. [ view differences ]

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Laura Prichard) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Ah Elsa, ma chère Elsa", copyright © 2013, (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: 20
Word count: 110

Ach Elselein lief, mijn Elselein fijn
Language: Dutch (Nederlands)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Ach Elselein lief, mijn Elselein fijn,
Hoe graag was ik bij jou;
Maar twee heel diepe wateren zijn
Er tussen mij en jou.
 
Laat jij je weerhouden, vriend, daardoor,
Dat er twee waat'ren zijn;
Waar anders menige trotse knaap
Doorstaat zo velerlei.
 
Ach lief, dit enkel maakt mij bang
Dat ik niet varen kan,
En als zou breken 't scheepje klein,
Zou 'k gauw ten onder gaan.
 
Ach neen, dat zal gebeuren niet,
Bij 't roeien hulp krijg jij,
Zodat je in heel korte tijd,
Mijn liefste, bent bij mij.
 
Daar jij, mijn schat, het meent zo goed,
Wil ik 't gaan wagen vrij,
Alleen dat vraag ik dringend jou:
Sta mij dan eerlijk bij.

About the headline (FAQ)

Translation of title "Die beiden Königskinder" = "De beide koningskinderen"

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation from German (Deutsch) to Dutch (Nederlands) copyright © 2015 by Lau Kanen, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., please ask the copyright-holder(s) directly.

    Lau Kanen.  Contact: boudewijnkanen (AT) gmail (DOT) com


    If the copyright-holder(s) are unreachable for three business days, please write to: licenses@email.lieder.example.net


Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , no title
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2015-07-07
Line count: 20
Word count: 115

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

Donate

We use cookies for internal analytics and to earn much-needed advertising revenue. (Did you know you can help support us by turning off ad-blockers?) To learn more, see our Privacy Policy. To learn how to opt out of cookies, please visit this site.

I acknowledge the use of cookies

Contact
Copyright
Privacy

Copyright © 2025 The LiederNet Archive

Site redesign by Shawn Thuris