Is it pity, Philomela, why so fearfully

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by Johann Heinrich Voss (1751 - 1826)

Translation © by Paula Corbin Swalin

Ist es Mitleid, Philomela, daß so bang'

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: DUT ENG

Ist es Mitleid, Philomela, daß so bang'
Aus dem Fruchthain, wo der Maiduft dich umwallt,
  Wie ein Grablied dein Gesang mir
    Durch die Dämmrung sich ergießt?
 
Es umschwebt mich in der Dämmrung die Gestalt,
Die im Nachttraum und des Tags Traum mir erscheint;
  Ich vernehm', ach! wie sie aufseufzt,
    Und das Thränlein ihr entschleicht.
 
O mein Schutzgeist, wo mit Wehmuth den Gesang
  Philomela's in dem Maiduft sie behorcht,
  Da erschein' ihr in der Dämmrung,
    Wie dein Freund, bleich und bethränt!

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Sämmtliche poetische Werke von Johann Heinrich Voss, ed. by Abraham Voss, Leipzig, Immanuel Müller, 1835, page 117. Note: in this edition, Philomela is addressed, but in modern editions, it is spelled Filomela.

Text Authorship:

by Johann Heinrich Voss (1751 - 1826), "Sehnsucht", appears in Oden und Lieder [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 Fanny Hensel (1805 - 1847), "Sehnsucht", H-U 190 [ low voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
by Christian Adolf Overbeck (1755 - 1821), "Philomela", published 1781 [ voice and piano ], from Lieder und Gesänge mit Claviermelodien, als Versuche eines Liebhabers, Hamburg, Carl Ernst Bohn [sung text not yet checked]

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

DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Verlangen", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Paula Corbin Swalin) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Lau Kanen [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2017-02-07
Line count: 12
Word count: 80

Is it pity, Philomela, why so fearfully

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Is it pity, Philomela, why so fearfully,
From the fruit grove, where the scent of May surrounds you,
Your song, like a requiem
Pours out to me through the twilight?

Her form hovers around me in the dusk,
In night- and daydreams she appears to me;
I hear, oh! how she sighs,
And her little tears slip away.

O my guardian angel, when with sadness
You hear Philomela’s song in the scented May,
Be revealed to her in the twilight,
Like your friend, pale and full of tears!

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of titles
"Sehnsucht" = "Longing"
"Philomela" = "Philomela" (a name)

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2024 by Paula Corbin Swalin, (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 Johann Heinrich Voss (1751 - 1826), "Sehnsucht", appears in Oden und Lieder
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2024-08-30
Line count: 12
Word count: 88