by Hermann von Lingg (1820 - 1905)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Äolsharfe
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG FRE
Geheimnißvoller Klang,
Für Geister der Luft besaitet,
Von keines Menschen Gesang,
Von Stürmen nur begleitet.

In deinen Tiefen sind
Die Melodien der Sterne, --
So ruft ein weinend Kind
Der Mutter in die Ferne.

Laute der [Trösterin Einsamkeit]1!
So [ziehen]2 über [Fluthen]3 Schwäne,
So [wiegt in Träume]4 [der]5 Seligkeit
Die schmerzenstillenden Thräne.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   M. Reger •   A. Sandberger 

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Gedichte von Hermann Lingg, Zweite Auflage, Stuttgart, Verlag der J. G. Cotta'schen Buchhandlung, 1869, page 130.

Note: in many older editions, the spelling of the word "Äolsharfe" becomes "Aeolsharfe", but as can be seen in how "über" becomes "Ueber" when capitalized, this is due to the printing process and not to rules of orthography, so we use "Äolsharfe". Note as well that modern German would change some spellings including "Geheimnißvoller" -> "Geheimnisvoller", "Fluthen" -> "Fluten", "Thräne" -> "Träne", etc.

1 Reger: "Trösterin der Einsamkeit"
2 Reger: "zieh'n"
3 Sandberger: "die Fluthen"
4 Sandberger: "liegt im Traume"
5 Reger: "die"

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) , "Arpa eòlica", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Aeolian Harp", copyright © 2024
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , " Harpe éolienne", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Donderwinkel , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 51

Aeolian Harp
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Mysterious sound, strings
Strung for the spirits of the air,
Accompanied by no human song,
Only by storms:

In your depths exist
The melodies of the stars --
Thus does a crying child call 
For a far-off mother.

Lute of the [comforter, solitude]1!
Thus do swans glide upon the waters,
Thus [into dreams of bliss are we lulled
By the]2 tear that soothes our anguish.

View original text (without footnotes)

Translator's note: with thanks to Sharon and Harald Krebs for helpful advice.

1 Reger: "comforter of loneliness"
2 Reger: "bliss lulls into dreams/ The"; Sandberger: "reposes in the dreams of bliss/ The"

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2024 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: 2024-09-04
Line count: 12
Word count: 64