Service to a lady | I wish to carry your train

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by Theodor Storm (1817 - 1888)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Damendienst

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Die Schleppe will ich dir tragen,
Ich will [deinem Wink]¹ mich weihn,
An Festen und hohen Tagen
Sollst du meine [Königin]² sein!
 
Deiner Launen [geheimste und kühnste]³
Gehorsam erfüll ich dir;
Doch leid ich in diesem Dienste
Keinen andern neben mir.
 
Solang ich dir diene in Ehren,
Gehöret dein Lächeln mein;
Deinen Hofstaat will ich vermehren;
Doch der Erste will ich sein.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• P. von Decker

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with: Theodor Storm, Gesammelte Werke, with an introduction by Dr. Karl Weitzel, Volume 2, Leipzig: Verlag der Literaturwerke "Minerva" R. Max Lippold, [no year], page 1187.

¹ Decker: "deinem Dienst"
² Decker: "Kön'gin"
³ Decker: "geheimste, kühnste"

Text Authorship:

by Theodor Storm (1817 - 1888), "Damendienst" [author's text checked 2 times 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 Heinrich, Freiherr von Bach (1835 - 1915), as Heinrich Molbe, "Damendienst", op. 93 (Sechs Lieder von Theodor Storm für eine Singstimme mit Clavierbegleitung ) no. 1 [ voice and piano ], Wien, Wiener Musik-Verlagshaus [sung text not yet checked]
by Pauline von Decker (1811 - 1882), "Damendienst", op. 14 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Service to a lady", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Service d'une Dame", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Harry Joelson

This text was added to the website: 2008-01-08
Line count: 12
Word count: 65

Service to a lady

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

I wish to carry your train,
I wish to dedicate myself to your [every hint]¹,
At festivals and holidays
You shall be my queen!

The most [secret and audacious]² of your whims
I shall obediently fulfill;
But I shall not tolerate anyone
Besides me to be in your service.

As long as I serve you in honour,
Your smiles belong to me;
I wish to enlarge your court;
But I wish to be its primary member.

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ von Decker: "service"
² von Decker: "most secret, most audacious"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2023 by Sharon Krebs, (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 Theodor Storm (1817 - 1888), "Damendienst"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2023-09-19
Line count: 12
Word count: 79