The Bell | Beautiful Katie sat before the door, spinning

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by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Die Glocke

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

  Schön Käthchen saß vor der Thür und spann
Beim Feiergeläute der Glocken,
Und wie sie träumte, und wie sie sann,
Benetzt' ein Thränchen den Rocken.
O süßer Traum!
Bim baum! bim baum!
Da klopft ihr die Brust, und sie seufzet tief:
Ach, wenn doch das Läuten zur Trauung rief!

  Und wie es im Dunkel der Laube rauscht,
Erglühen ihr Lippen und Wangen:
Der Bräutigam ist es, er hat gelauscht,
Und kommt nun die Braut zu umfangen.
Sie atmet kaum --
Bim baum! bim baum!
Und Wilhelm reichet die Hand ihr dar:
Es rief sie die Glocke zum Traualtar.

Confirmed with W. Gerhard's Gedichte, erster Band, Leipzig: Verlag von Joh. Ambr. Barth., 1826, page 133

Text Authorship:

by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Die Glocke", appears in Gedichte, in Euterpe: Lieder und Romanzen [author's text checked 2 times 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 A. Crüger (flourished c1832), "Die Glocke", 1832 [sung text not yet checked]
by Richard Ferdinand Wüerst (1824 - 1881), "Die Glocke", op. 20 (Lieder und Gesänge), Heft 2 no. 6, published 1852 [ bass and piano ], Magdeburg, Heinrichshofen's Verlag [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The Bell", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2007-12-12
Line count: 16
Word count: 98

The Bell

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

  Beautiful Katie sat before the door, spinning
To the festive ringing of the bells,
And as she dreamt and as she pondered,
A tear bedewed the distaff.
Oh sweet dream!
Ding dong! ding dong!
Her breast pounds and she sighs deeply:
Ah, if only the ringing were calling me to my wedding!

  And as in the darkness of the arbour there sounds a rustling,
Her lips and cheeks begin to glow:
It is her bridegroom, he has eavesdropped,
And comes now to embrace the bride.
She scarcely breathes --
Ding dong! ding dong!
And Wilhelm stretches out his hand to her:
The bell called her to the wedding altar!

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 Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Die Glocke", appears in Gedichte, in Euterpe: Lieder und Romanzen
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2018-01-20
Line count: 16
Word count: 109