by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Wenn dein Mütterlein
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG ENG FRE ITA LIT NOR POL POR SPA
Wenn dein Mütterlein 
tritt zur Tür herein,
Und den Kopf ich drehe, 
ihr entgegen sehe,
Fällt auf ihr Gesicht 
erst der Blick mir nicht,
Sondern auf die Stelle, 
näher nach der Schwelle,
Dort, wo würde dein 
lieb Gesichten sein,
Wenn du freudenhelle
trätest mit herein,
Wie sonst, mein Töchterlein.

Wenn dein Mütterlein 
tritt zur Tür herein,
Mit der Kerze Schimmer,
ist es mir, als immer
Kämst du mit herein,
huschtest hinterdrein,
Als wie sonst ins Zimmer!
O du, des Vaters Zelle,
Ach, zu schnell
erloschner Freudenschein!

Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Quan la teva mare", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "When your mother steps into the doorway", copyright ©
  • ENG English [singable] (David Paley) , "When your mother dear", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Quando la tua mamma", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , "Tavo mamai tik", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • NOR Norwegian (Bokmål) (Marianne Beate Kielland) , "Når din mor", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • POL Polish (Polski) (Alicja Istigniejew) , "Kiedy twoja mama", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • POR Portuguese (Português) (Paulo Albuquerque de Noronha) , "Quando tua mãezinha", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Elena María Accinelli) , "Cuando tu madre entra por la puerta", copyright © 2005, (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: 23
Word count: 86

When your mother steps into the doorway
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
When your mother
steps into the doorway
and I turn my head
to see her,
my gaze does not alight
first on her face,
but on the place
nearer to the threshhold;
there, where 
your dear face would be
when you would step in
with bright joy,
as you used to, my little daughter.
 
When your mother steps
into the doorway
with the gleam of a candle,
it always seems to me as if
you came in as well,
slipping in behind her,
just as you used to come into the room!
O you, a father's cell,
alas! too quickly 
you extinguish the gleam of joy!

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.


Based on:

 

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 23
Word count: 106