In front of the smithy | Blacksmith, dear blacksmith, unlock your door

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by Justus Friedrich Reinhard Spitzner (1863 - 1922), as Reinhard Volker

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Vor der Schmiede

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Schmied, lieber Schmied, schließ' auf Deine Thüre,
Rühre die Bälge, den Feuerbrand schüre!
Rücke das Eisen recht unter die Glut,
Schmiede mir's fest, und niete mir's gut! --
 
"Mädel, jung Mädel, so bleich deine Wange? --
Möchtest ein [Kettchen]¹? Begehrst eine Spange?
Willst einen Schlüssel für Keller und Kammer?
Feuerbrand schür' ich und schwinge den Hammer!" --
 
Schmied, lieber Schmied, ich bitte Dich sehr,
Schmied' einen Reifen um's Herz mir her,
Rühre und schüre und schwinge den Hammer,
Daß [es]² nicht springe vor [Wehe]³ und Jammer!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• B. Bock • R. Cahn-Speyer

R. Cahn-Speyer sets stanzas 1, 3

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Fliegende Blätter, 113. Band (1900), Nro. 2866, page 1.

¹ Bock: "Kettlein"
² Cahn-Speyer: "mir's"
³ Cahn-Speyer: "Weh"

Text Authorship:

by Justus Friedrich Reinhard Spitzner (1863 - 1922), as Reinhard Volker, "Vor der Schmiede" [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 Berta Bock (1857 - 1945), "Vor der Schmiede", op. 7 (Vier Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Klavier) no. 1, published c1910 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig: Fritz Schuberth jr.; also in the collection Lieder siebenbürgischer Komponisten, Book I [sung text checked 1 time]
by Rudolf S. Cahn-Speyer (1881 - 1940), "Vor der Schmiede", op. 5 (Sechs Lieder) no. 4, published 1912, stanzas 1,3 [ voice and piano ], Cöln am Rhein: Verlag Tischer & Jagenberg [sung text checked 1 time]

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

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2009-06-08
Line count: 12
Word count: 86

In front of the smithy

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Blacksmith, dear blacksmith, unlock your door,
Ply the bellows, stoke up the fire!
Move the iron right under the blaze,
Forge it firmly and rivet it well for me! --
 
"Maiden, young maiden, so pale your cheek? --
Would you like a little chain? Do you desire a buckle?
Would you like a key for cellar and chamber?
I’ll stoke up the fire and swing my hammer!" --
 
Blacksmith, dear blacksmith, I beg you earnestly,
Forge a ring about my heart,
Bestir yourself and stoke and swing your hammer,
So that my heart may not burst for misery and woe!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 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 Justus Friedrich Reinhard Spitzner (1863 - 1922), as Reinhard Volker, "Vor der Schmiede"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2016-09-29
Line count: 12
Word count: 97