Maiden | At the tower a knight is listening

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by Franz Xaver Freiherr von Schlechta (1796 - 1875)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Fräulein

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Am Thurme lauschet ein Ritter,
Doch nicht in Erz und Stahl,
Er singt zum Spiel der Zither
Ein Lied von süßer Qual.

"Lüfte, rüttelt eure Schwingen,
Es gilt lieblichen Gewinn!
Denn ihr sollet Botschaft bringen
Wohl der schönsten Schläferin.

Sagt ihr, wie durch Duft und Stille
Hell das Lied der Amsel zieht,
Und die Nacht in Perlenfülle
Labung auf die Pfade sprüht;

Sagt ihr, wie des Mondes Welle
Sich an ihrem Fenster bricht,
Sagt ihr, wie so Bach als Quelle
Traulich mit den Blumen spricht!"

Kein Laut? es drang die Weise
Wohl nicht zum rechten Ohr,
Der Sänger schwang sich leise
Zum Fensterlein empor.

Und oben nahm der Ritter
Ein Sträußlein von der Brust,
Das band er fest am Gitter
Und seufzte: Blüht in Lust!

Und fragt sie, wer euch brachte,
Dann Blumen thut ihr kund -
Ein Stimmchen unten lachte:
Dein Schäfer Liebemund!

Confirmed with Ephemeren. Dichtungen von weiland Franz Freiherrn von Schlechta-Wssehrd. Mit einem Vorworte von Heinrich Laube. Zweite Auflage. Wien. Pest. Leipzig. A. Hartleben's Verlag. 1876, pages 129-130.

Note: This poem is the third version of Schlechta's Des Fräuleins Liebeslauschen, the second in a pair of romances (the first being Des ritterlichen Jägers Liebeslauschen, here published with the title Ritter). Both were combined under the title Liebeslauschen, and a footnote (Veranlaßt durch zwei anmuthige Bilder von Carl von Schnorr [sic]) explains that Schlechta was inspired by two paintings by Ludwig Ferdinand Schnorr von Carolsfeld. The poem's initial version (1820) can be found here, and the second version (1824) here.

Text Authorship:

by Franz Xaver Freiherr von Schlechta (1796 - 1875), "Fräulein" [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):

[ None yet in the database ]

Another version of this text exists in the database.

Go to the text. [ view differences ] CAT DUT ENG FRE GRE ITA

Set in a modified version by Franz Peter Schubert.

Go to the text. [ view differences ] ENG

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

Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2017-12-10
Line count: 28
Word count: 143

Maiden

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

At the tower a knight is listening,
But not a knight in bronze and steel,
To the play of his zither he is singing
A song about sweet agony.

"Breezes, shake your pinions,
There are lovely things to be won!
For you are to carry a message
To the most beautiful of sleepers.

Tell her how the song of the blackbird
Wafts brightly through the scent and quietness,
And how, with a plethora of pearls,
The night sprays refreshment upon the pathways;

Tell her how the moon's wave
Breaks against her window,
Tell her how the brook as well as the waterspring
Speaks so intimately with the flowers!"

No sound? the air must not have
Reached the ear for which it was meant,
The singer swung himself quietly
Up to the little window.

And up there the knight pulled
A little wreath from his breast;
He bound it firmly to the screen
And sighed: "Bloom in joy!

And if she asks who brought you,
Then, flowers, tell her – ["]
A little voice below laughed:
Your shepherd, Liebemund [literally, lips of love]!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2018 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 Franz Xaver Freiherr von Schlechta (1796 - 1875), "Fräulein"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2018-01-03
Line count: 28
Word count: 182