You do not understand the eternal movement of the waves

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by Hans Christian Andersen (1805 - 1875)

Translation © by Geoffrey Cooper

Du fatter ej Bølgernes evige Gang

Language: Danish (Dansk)

Our translations: ENG FRE GER

Du fatter ej Bølgernes evige Gang,
Ej Aanden, som svulmer i Tonernes Klang,
Ej Følelsen dybt i Blomstens Duft,
Sollysets Flamme mod Storm og Luft,
De Fugles Kviddren af Længsel og Lyst,
Og tror dog, Du fatter en Digters Bryst?

Der svulmer det mer end i Bølgens Gang,
Der findes jo Kilden til hver en Sang,
Der voxer Blomsten med evig Duft,
Der brænder det uden den kjølende Luft,
Der kjæmpe Aander i Længsel og Lyst,
De kjæmpe mod Døden dybt i hans Bryst!

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Hans Christian Andersen (1805 - 1875), "Du fatter ej Bølgernes evige Gang", written 1830, appears in Enkeltdigte - Tree Smaae-Digte [author's text not yet checked 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 Edvard Grieg (1843 - 1907), "En Digters Bryst", op. 5 no. 2 (1864-1865), published 1865 [ voice and piano ], from Hjertets melodier, no. 2, Copenhagen [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Geoffrey Cooper) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Tu ne comprends pas l'éternel mouvement des flots", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Bertram Kottmann) , "Du fasst nicht der Wogen ewigen Gang", copyright © 2016, (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: 12
Word count: 84

You do not understand the eternal...

Language: English after the Danish (Dansk)

You do not understand the eternal movement of the waves
nor the spirit that swells in the sonorous tone
nor feelings deep in a flower's scent
nor sunlight flaming against storm and wind
nor the bird's chirping of longing and pleasure
And so you think you understand a Poet's Breast?

It swells more than the movement of the waves
You find, indeed, the source of every song
The flowers with everlasting fragrance
It burns without a cooling breeze,
Fighting the spirits with longing and pleasure
he fights against death, deep in his breast!

About the headline (FAQ)

Translation of title "En Digters Bryst" = "A poet's breast"

Text Authorship:

Translation from Danish (Dansk) to English copyright © 2017 by Geoffrey Cooper, (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 Danish (Dansk) by Hans Christian Andersen (1805 - 1875), "Du fatter ej Bølgernes evige Gang", written 1830, appears in Enkeltdigte - Tree Smaae-Digte
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2017-10-15
Line count: 12
Word count: 93