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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

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

by Josef Kenner (1794 - 1868)
Translation © by Francesco Campanella

Ballade
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA
Ein Fräulein schaut vom hohen Thurm
Das weite Meer so bang;
Zum trauerschweren Zitherschlag
Hallt düster ihr Gesang;
"Mich halten Schloß und Riegel fest,
Mein Retter weilt so lang."

Sei wohl getrost, du edle Maid!
Schau hinterm Kreidenstein 
Treibt in der Buchtung Dunkelheit
Ein Kriegesboot herein:
Der Aarenbusch, der Rosenschild,
Das ist der Retter dein!
Schon ruft des Hunen Horn zum Streit,
Hinab zum Muschelrain.

"Willkommen, schmucker Knabe, mir!
Bist du zu Stelle kummen?
Gar bald vom schwarzen Schilde dir
Hau' ich die gold'nen Blumen.
Die achtzehn Blumen, blutbethaut,
Les' deine königliche Braut
Auf aus dem Sand der Wogen,
Nur flink die Wehr gezogen!"

Zum Thurm aufschallt das Schwerdtgeklirr!
Wie harrt die Braut so bang!
Der Kampf dröhnt laut durch's Waldrevier,
So heftig und so lang!
Und endlich, endlich däucht es ihr,
Erstirbt der Hiebe Klang.

Es kracht das Schloß, die Thür klafft auf,
Die ihren sieht sie wieder,
Sie eilt im athemlosen Lauf
Zum Muschelplane nieder.
Da liegt der Peiniger zerschellt,
Doch weh! dicht neben nieder,
Ach! decken's blutbespritzte Feld
Des Retters blasse Glieder.

Still sammelt sie die Rosen auf
In ihren keuschen Schooß
Und bettet ihren Lieben drauf,
Ein Thränchen stiehlt sich los!
Und thaut die breiten Wunden an,
Und sagt: ich, ich hab' das gethan!

Da fraß es einem Schandgesell
Des Raubes im Gemüth,
Daß die, die seinen Herrn verdarb,
Frei nach der Heimath zieht.
Vom Busch, wo er verkrochen lag
In wilder Todeslust,
Pfeift schnell sein Bolzen durch die Luft,
In ihre keusche Brust.

Da ward ihr wohl im Brautgemach,
Im Kiesgrund, still und klein;
Sie senkten sie dem Lieben nach
Dort unter einem Stein,
Den ihr, von Diesteln überweht,
Noch nächst des Turmes Trümmern seht.

Confirmed with Schochow, Schuberts Liedertexte, Band I, Georg Olms Verlag, 1997, pages 207-208.


Text Authorship:

  • by Josef Kenner (1794 - 1868), written 1814 [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 Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Ballade", op. posth. 126, D 134 (1814/1815), published 1830 [ voice, piano ], Josef Czerny, VN 2664, Wien [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Balada", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Ballade 'Een jonkvrouw ziet van de toren neer'", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Ballad", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Ballade", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Francesco Campanella) , "Ballata", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 56
Word count: 280

Ballata
Language: Italian (Italiano)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Una ragazza getta lo sguardo dall’alto di una torre
Verso il vasto mare, con timore;
Ai tocchi  pesanti e dolorosi della cetra
Risuona il suo canto tetro;
“Lucchetti e chiavistelli mi trattengono fermamente,
Il mio salvatore indugia così a lungo.”

Sii fiduciosa, nobile damigella!
Guarda, al di là delle scogliere bianche
Nell’oscurità della baia
Si spinge una nave da guerra:
La piuma d’aquila, lo scudo con la rosa,
E’ il tuo salvatore!
Già il suo corno di eroe chiama alla lotta
Giù alla spiaggia ricoperta di conchiglie.

“Benvenuto giovane bellissimo, per me
Tu sei venuto in questo luogo?
Ben presto dal tuo nero scudo
Coglierò i fiori dorati.
Quei diciotto fiori insanguinati,
La tua regale sposa li ritroverà
Sulla sabbia percorsa dalle onde;
Solamente, veloce, sguaina la tua spada!”

Risuona fino alla torre il cozzare delle spade!
Con che ansia la sposa attende!
Il combattimento risuona forte attraverso il bosco,
Così violento e lungo!
E senza fine, senza fine le appare,
Fino a che il clangore  si spegne.

Il catenaccio schianta, la porta si spalanca,
Ella di nuovo guarda  i suoi,
Ella corre a perdifiato
Giù alla spiaggia ricoperta di conchiglie.
Là giace il suo aguzzino smembrato,
Ma, ahimè, vicinissimo, in basso,
Ah! sul campo schizzato di sangue
Giacciono nel pallore le membra del suo salvatore

In silenzio ella raccoglie le rose
Nel suo casto grembo
E vi depone sopra il suo amato,
Una piccola lacrima scappa via!
E bagna la sua larga ferita,
E dice: “io, io l’ho fatto!”

Allora un disonorato compagno di ruberie,
Roso dall’idea
Ch’ella  abbia portato alla rovina il suo signore,
Scoperto, si porta al suo rifugio.
Dal cespuglio, ove nascosta giaceva
In selvaggio desiderio di morte,
Sibila veloce il suo dardo nell’aria,
Fin nel suo casto petto.

Allora fu fatta per lei una camera nuziale,
Nella terra sassosa, piccola e tranquilla;
La calarono insieme col suo amato
E sopra di loro una pietra,
Che, ricoperta di cardi,
Ancora si vede presso le rovine della torre.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2020 by Francesco Campanella, (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 Josef Kenner (1794 - 1868), written 1814
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2020-12-05
Line count: 56
Word count: 331

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

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