LiederNet logo

CONTENTS

×
  • Home | Introduction
  • Composers (20,102)
  • Text Authors (19,442)
  • Go to a Random Text
  • What’s New
  • A Small Tour
  • FAQ & Links
  • Donors
  • DONATE

UTILITIES

  • Search Everything
  • Search by Surname
  • Search by Title or First Line
  • Search by Year
  • Search by Collection

CREDITS

  • Emily Ezust
  • Contributors (1,114)
  • Contact Information
  • Bibliography

  • Copyright Statement
  • Privacy Policy

Follow us on Facebook

×

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Emanuel von Geibel (1815 - 1884)
Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Zwei Könige sassen auf Orkadal
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG ENG FRE
Zwei Könige sassen auf Orkadal,
Hell flammten die Kerzen im Pfeilersaal.
Die Harfner sangen, es perlte der Wein,
Die Könige schauten finster drein.
Da sprach der eine: "Gib mir die Dirn'!
Ihr Aug' ist blau, schneeweiss ihre Stirn."
Der Andre versetzte in grimmem Zorn:
"Mein ist sie und bleibt sie, ich hab's geschwor'n!"
Kein Wort mehr sprachen die Könige drauf,
Sie nahmen die Schwerter und stunden auf,
Sie schritten hervor aus der leuchtenden Hall';
Tief lag der Schnee an des Schlosses Wall.
Es sprühten die Fackeln, es blitzte der Stahl --
Zwei Könige sanken auf Orkadal.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Emanuel von Geibel (1815 - 1884), "Zwei Könige", appears in Jugendgedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch, in Lübeck und Bonn [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 Carl Georg Peter Grädener (1812 - 1883), "Zwei Könige sassen auf Orkadal", op. 18 no. 4, published 1857 [ low voice and piano ], from Herbstklänge. Sieben Lieder für tiefe Stimme mit Pianoforte, no. 4, Winterthur, Rieter-Biedermann [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Charles Tomlinson Griffes (1884 - 1920), "Zwei Könige sassen auf Orkadal", A. 20 (c1905-10), published 1910 [ low voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Victor von Herzfeld , "Zwei Könige", published 1879 [ voice and piano ], from Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 2, Wien, Gutmann [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Theodor Fürchtegott Kirchner (1823 - 1903), "Zwei Könige", op. 10, published 1861 [ baritone and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Otto Lies (1869 - 1955), "Zwei Könige", op. 15 (Lieder und Balladen für 1 mittlere Singstimme mit Pianoforte), Heft 1 no. 1, published 1898 [ medium voice and piano ], Arnheim, Noske [sung text not yet checked]
  • by (Wilhelm) Bernhard Molique (1802 - 1869), "Zwei Könige ", op. 38 (Sechs Lieder) no. 5, published 1850 [ voice and piano ], London : Ewer & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Richard Ferdinand Würst (1824 - 1881), "Zwei Könige sassen auf Orkadal", op. 20 (Lieder und Gesänge), Heft 2 no. 3, 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 (Bertram Kottmann) , "Two kings sat together in Orkadal", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Linda Godry) , "Two kings sat at Orkadal", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2005-10-12
Line count: 14
Word count: 95

Deux rois étaient assis à Orkadal
Language: French (Français)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Deux rois étaient assis à Orkadal,
Les  bougies brûlaient dans la salle aux colonnes.
Les luthistes chantaient, le vin pétillait,
Les rois avaient l'air sombre.
Soudain l'un dit : « Donne-moi la fille !
Ses yeux sont bleus, son front blanc comme neige. »
L'autre répliqua, pris d'une terrible colère :
« Elle est à moi et le restera, je l'ai juré ! »
Là-dessus les rois ne dirent plus un mot,
Ils se saisirent de leur épée, se levèrent,
Sortirent de la salle illuminée ;
La neige était épaisse à la muraille du château.
Les flambeaux crépitaient, l'acier étincelait –
Deux rois tombèrent à Orkadal.

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of title(s):
"Zwei Könige sassen auf Orkadal" = "Deux rois étaient assis à Orkadal"
"Zwei Könige" = "Deux rois"


Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2018 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 Emanuel von Geibel (1815 - 1884), "Zwei Könige", appears in Jugendgedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch, in Lübeck und Bonn
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2018-04-29
Line count: 14
Word count: 101

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

Donate

We use cookies for internal analytics and to earn much-needed advertising revenue. (Did you know you can help support us by turning off ad-blockers?) To learn more, see our Privacy Policy. To learn how to opt out of cookies, please visit this site.

I acknowledge the use of cookies

Contact
Copyright
Privacy

Copyright © 2025 The LiederNet Archive

Site redesign by Shawn Thuris