A minstrel's love | Ever since the high god of songs

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by Johann Ludwig Uhland (1787 - 1862)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Seit der hohe Gott der Lieder

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Seit der hohe Gott der Lieder
Mußt' in Liebesschmerz erbleichen,
Seit der Lorbeer seiner Schläfe
Unglücksel'ger Liebe Zeichen:

Wundert's wen daß ird'schen Sängern,
Die dasselbe Zeichen kranzet,
Selten in der Liebe Leben
Ein beglückter Stern erglänzet?

Daß sie ernst und düster blicken,
Ihre Saiten traurig tönen,
Daß von Lust sie wenig singen,
Aber viel von Schmerz und Sehnen?

Sängerliebe, tief und schmerzlich,
Laßt euch denn in ernsten Bildern
Aus den Tagen des Gesanges,
Aus der Zeit der Minne, schildern!

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Johann Ludwig Uhland (1787 - 1862), no title, appears in Sängerliebe [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 Adolf Wallnöfer (1854 - 1946), "Sängerliebe", op. 36 (Vier Gesänge für 1 höhere Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1884 [ high voice and piano ], Leipzig, Rahter [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in German (Deutsch), adapted by Richard Pohl (1826 - 1896) [an adaptation] ; composed by Robert Schumann.

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "A minstrel's love", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) (Richard Pohl) [an adaptation]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2015-01-28
Line count: 16
Word count: 79

A minstrel's love

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Ever since the high god of songs
Was made to die in the agony of love,
Ever since the laurel wreath of his temples
Became the sign of ill-fated love:
 
Does anyone wonder that for earthly minstrels,
Who are garlanded with the same emblem,
Seldom during the lifetime of love
A fortunate star shines?
 
That their gaze is serious and sombre,
That their strings sound sadly,
That they seldom sing of joy,
But much of pain and longing?
 
Minstrel-love, deep and painful,
Let me depict for you in solemn pictures
From the days of singing,
From the time of courtly love.

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 Johann Ludwig Uhland (1787 - 1862), no title, appears in Sängerliebe
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2015-09-25
Line count: 16
Word count: 101