The poet's recovery | And again I had thought of that loveliest of women

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by Robert Reinick (1805 - 1852)

Translation © by Emily Ezust

Dichters Genesung

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE

  Und wieder hatt' ich der Schönsten gedacht,
Die nur in Träumen bisher ich gesehen;
Es trieb mich hinaus in die lichte Nacht,
Durch stille Gründe mußt ich gehen:
    Da auf einmal 
    Glänzte das Tal,
  Schaurig, als wär' es ein Geistersaal.

  Da rauschten zusammen zur Tanz-Melodei
Der Strom und die Winde mit Klingen und Zischen,
Da weht' es im flüchtigen Zuge herbei
Aus Felsen und Tale, aus Wellen und Büschen,
    Und im Mondesglanz 
    Ein weißer Kranz
  Tanzten die Elfen den Reigentanz.

  Und mitten im Kreis ein luftiges Weib,
Die Königin war es, ich hörte sie singen:
»Laß ab von dem schweren irdischen Leib,
Laß ab von den törichten irdischen Dingen!
    Nur im Mondenschein 
    Ist Leben allein!
  Nur im Träumen zu schweben ein ewiges Sein!

  Ich bin's, die in Träumen [dir oft erschien]¹,
Ich bin's, die als Liebchen [oft du]² besungen,
Ich bin es, die Elfenkönigin!
Du wolltest mich schauen -- es [ist]³ gelungen!
    Nun sollst du mein 
    Auf ewig sein.
  Komm mit, komm mit in den Elfenreih'n!«

  Schon zogen, schon flogen sie all' um mich [hin]⁴, --
Da wehte der Morgen, da bin ich genesen!
Fahr' wohl nun, du Elfenkönigin,
Jetzt will ein [anderes Lieb mir]⁵ erlesen;
    Ohn' Trug und Schein 
    Und von Herzen rein
  Wird wohl auch für mich eins zu finden sein!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• R. Schumann

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Schumann: "du oft gesehn"
² Schumann: "du oft"
³ Schumann: "ist dir"
⁴ Schumann: "her"
⁵ Schumann: "andres Lieb ich mir"

Text Authorship:

by Robert Reinick (1805 - 1852), "Dichters Genesung", appears in Lieder, in Romanzen und Balladen [formerly Bilder], first published 1844 [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 Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Dichters Genesung", op. 36 no. 5 (1840), published 1842 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], from Sechs Gedichte aus dem Liederbuch eines Malers, no. 5, Hamburg, Schuberth und Co. [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De genezing van de dichter", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The poet's recovery", copyright ©
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "La guérison du poète", copyright © 2010, (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: 35
Word count: 219

The poet's recovery

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

And again I had thought of that loveliest of women,
whom I have only seen before in dreams;
it drove me outside into the bright night,
and I had to walk through the silent grounds.
Suddenly 
the valley shone,
eerily as if it were a hall of ghosts.

There rushed together like a dance melody
the streaming wind, with a clangor and a hiss;
it blew in a hasty procession
from the cliffs and valleys, from the waves and the bushes,
and in the moonlight, 
there was a white wreath
where the elves were dancing a round dance.

And in the middle of their circle was a light, airy woman,
who was their queen, and I heard them singing:
"Leave this heavy earthly body,
leave these foolish earthly things!
Only in moonlight 
is Life itself!
Only in floating dreams is eternal existence!

I am she whom you often see in dreams;
I am she, the beloved of whom you often sing;
I am she, the queen of the elves.
You wanted to see me: your wish has been granted.
Now you shall be mine 
for eternity.
Come, come with me in the Elven Order!"

Already approaching, already flying around me,
the morning breeze is blowing and I am recovering.
Go away now, you elven queen;
now I will choose a different love -
one without lies and pretence, 
with a pure heart;
certainly there is one to be found for me.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet Archive
For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Robert Reinick (1805 - 1852), "Dichters Genesung", appears in Lieder, in Romanzen und Balladen [formerly Bilder], first published 1844
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 35
Word count: 240