Je suis au sommet de la montagne

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by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)

Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Ich steh' auf des Berges Spitze

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Ich steh auf des Berges Spitze,
Und werde sentimental.
«Wenn ich ein Vöglein wäre!»
Seufz ich vieltausendmal.

Wenn ich eine Schwalbe wäre,
So flög ich zu dir, mein Kind,
Und baute mir mein Nestchen,
Wo deine Fenster sind.

Wenn ich eine Nachtigall wäre,
So flög ich zu dir, mein Kind,
Und sänge dir Nachts meine Lieder
Herab von der grünen Lind'.

Wenn ich ein Gimpel wäre,
So flög ich gleich an dein Herz;
Du bist ja hold den Gimpeln,
Und heilest Gimpelschmerz.

Confirmed with Heinrich Heine, Buch der Lieder, Hoffmann und Campe, Hamburg, 1827, page 157.

Text Authorship:

by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), appears in Buch der Lieder, in Lyrisches Intermezzo, no. 53 [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 Don Forsythe (1932 - 2015), "Ich steh' auf des Berges Spitze", published c2004-5 [ low voice and piano ], from Eine Dichtererzählung - Herbstzyklus, no. 9 [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in English, a translation by Theodore Martin, Sir, KCB KCVO (1816 - 1909) ; composed by Herbert Bedford.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]

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

ENG English (Iain Sneddon) , "I stand on the mountaintop", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Charles Beltjens) , no title, appears in Intermezzo lyrique, no. 53, first published 1827
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2008-04-03
Line count: 16
Word count: 82

Je suis au sommet de la montagne

Language: French (Français) after the German (Deutsch)

Je suis au sommet de la montagne
Et deviens sentimental.
« Si j'étais un oiseau ! »
Soupiré-je mille fois.

Si j'étais une hirondelle,
Je volerais vers toi, mon enfant,
Et construirais mon nid
Là où sont tes fenêtres.

Si j'étais un rossignol,
Je volerais vers toi, mon enfant,
Et la nuit je te chanterais mes chansons
Du haut du vert tilleul.

Si j'étais un serin,
Je volerais sur l'heure vers ton cœur ;
Car tu aimes bien les serins,
Et guéris le mal des serins.

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Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2016 by Pierre Mathé, (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 Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), appears in Buch der Lieder, in Lyrisches Intermezzo, no. 53
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2016-12-02
Line count: 16
Word count: 84