To my lute | Faithful, lovely confidante

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by Louise Brachmann (1777 - 1822)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

An meine Laute

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

[Treue]¹, liebliche Vertraute,
Meines Kummers Trösterin!
Meine [Klage]², theure Laute,
Trage zu [dem]³ Fernen hin!
 
Sag' ihm: "Mancher Glanz des Lebens
Wird im Fernen erst erkannt;
Nach Entfremdung ringt vergebens,
Was sich wahr und tief verwandt!"
 
Sag' ihm: "Als Dich kaum die Ferne
Hüllt' in ihre Nebel ein,
Glänzte, wie entwölkte Sterne,
Mir Dein lang’ verkanntes Sein."
 
Fleh' ihn: "Kehr’, o kehre wieder,
Theures Leben! süßes Glück!
Sehnend rufen meine Lieder,
Ruft Dich Reu und Schmerz zurück."

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• J. Lang

J. Lang sets stanza 1

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Auserlesenen Dichtungen von Louise Brachmann, herausgegeben von Professor Schütz zu Halle, Leipzig: in der Weygand’schen Buchhandlung 1824, page 42

¹Lang: "Süße"
²Lang: "Klagen"
³Lang: "den"

Text Authorship:

by Louise Brachmann (1777 - 1822), "An meine Laute" [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by Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Treue, liebliche Vertraute", 1830s, stanza 1 [voice and piano], unpublished, incomplete [ sung text verified 1 time]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , title 1: "To my lute", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2016-12-14
Line count: 16
Word count: 82

To my lute

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

[Faithful]¹, lovely confidante,
Consoler to me in my misery!
My [lament]², dear lute,
Carry to [him who is]³ far away!
 
Tell him: "Many a lustre of life
Is only recognized when it is distant;
What is truly and deeply related,
Seeks in vain for estrangement!"
 
Tell him: "When the distance had barely
Enfolded you in its mists,
Your long-misunderstood being
Shone for me, like newly unclouded stars."
 
Implore him: "Return, oh return again,
Dear life! sweet happiness!
Longingly my songs call,
Rue and pain call you back."

View original text (without footnotes)
¹Lang: "Sweet"
²Lang: "laments"
³Lang: "them who are"

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 Louise Brachmann (1777 - 1822), "An meine Laute"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2016-12-14
Line count: 16
Word count: 92