Über diesen Strom, vor Jahren
Language: German (Deutsch)
Our translations: CAT ENG FRE
Über diesen Strom, vor Jahren
Bin ich einmal schon gefahren.
Hier die Burg im Abendschimmer,
Drüben rauscht das Wehr wie immer.
Und vom diesen Kahn umschlossen
Waren mit mir zween Genoßen:
Ach! ein Freund, ein vatergleicher,
Und ein junger, hoffnungsreicher.
Jener wirkte still hienieden,
Und so ist er auch geschieden;
Dieser, brausend vor uns Allen,
Ist in Kampf und Sturm gefallen.
So, wenn ich vergangner Tage,
Glücklicker, zu denken wage,
Muß ich stets Genoßen missen,
Teure, die der Tod entrissen.
Doch, was alle Freundschaft bindet,
Ist, wenn Geist zu Geist sich findet,
Geistig waren jene Stunden,
Geistern bin ich noch verbunden.
Nimm nur, Fährmann, nimm die Miethe,
Die ich gerne dreifach biete:
Zweien, die mit mir überfuhren,
Waren geistige Naturen.
About the headline (FAQ)
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):
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Lawrence Snyder) , "The crossing", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "La traversée", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Lawrence Snyder
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 120
The crossing
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Many years ago
I crossed this same stream.
There shines the castle in the sunset,
There runs the weir, as always.
And in this boat with me
There were two companions:
One, a friend, like a father to me,
The other young and full of hope.
The first led a quiet life,
And thus did he also pass away;
The other stormed ahead of us all,
And fell in storm and battle.
So if I of past days,
Happier days, dare to think,
I always miss my dear friends,
Whom death has ripped from me.
But that which binds all friendship
Is the finding of kindred spirit,
Those hours were of the spirit,
To those spirits am I yet bound.
Take then, Ferryman, take the toll,
Which I gladly pay threefold:
Two, which cross over with me
Are spirit in nature.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Lawrence Snyder, (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.
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Based on:
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 141