by Friedrich von Schlegel (1772 - 1829)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Der Fluß
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Available translation(s): CAT DUT ENG FRE
Wie rein Gesang sich windet
Durch wunderbarer Saitenspiele Rauschen,
Er selbst sich wieder findet,
Wie auch die Weisen tauschen,
Daß neu entzückt die Hörer ewig lauschen:

So fließet mir gediegen
Die Silbermasse, schlangengleich gewunden,
Durch Büsche, die sich wiegen
[Von]1 Zauber süß gebunden,
Weil sie im Spiegel neu sich selbst gefunden;

Wo Hügel sich so gerne
Und helle Wolken leise schwankend zeigen,
Wenn fern schon matte Sterne
Aus blauer Tiefe steigen,
Der Sonne trunkne Augen abwärts neigen.

So schimmern alle Wesen
Den Umriß nach im kindlichen Gemüthe,
Das zur Schönheit erlesen
Durch milder Götter Güte
In dem Krystall bewahrt die flücht'ge Blüthe.

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Musen-Almanach für das Jahr 1802. Herausgegeben von A. W. Schlegel und L. Tieck. Tübingen, in der Cotta'schen Buchhandlung, 1802, pages 137-138; and with Friedrich Schlegel's sämmtliche Werke. Erster Band. Gedichte. Berlin, bei Julius Eduard Hitzig, 1809, page 16.

1 Schubert: "Vom"

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) , "El riu", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De rivier", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The river", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "La rivière", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


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

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 102

The river
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
 Like a pure song that winds itself
 through the wonderful sound of strings playing,
 finding itself again
 as the tunes switch back and forth
 so that the listeners are always newly delighted;
 
 So the silvery bulk flows with dignity,
 winding like a snake
 through swaying bushes
 sweetly and magically entranced
 to find themselves mirrored;
 
 Where hills and bright clouds
 like to melt themselves into softly vibrating images
 when the distant, faint stars
 rise from the blue depths
 and the sun lowers its intoxicated eyes.
 
 So shine all creatures,
 like silhouettes in the childlike mind,
 which is selected for beauty
 by the gentle goodness of the Gods,
 and in which fleeting blossoms are preserved in crystal.

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 -- https://www.lieder.net/

    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: 20
Word count: 116