by
Nikolaus Lenau (1802 - 1850)
Himmelstrauer
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): ENG FRE
Am Himmelsantlitz wandelt ein Gedanke,
Die düstre Wolke dort, so bang, so schwer;
Wie auf dem Lager sich der Seelenkranke,
Wirft sich der Strauch im Winde hin und her.
Vom Himmel tönt ein schwermutmattes Grollen,
Die dunkle Wimper blinzet manches Mal,
- So blinzen Augen, wenn sie weinen wollen, -
Und aus der Wimper zuckt ein schwacher Strahl.
Nun schleichen aus dem Moore kühle Schauer
Und leise Nebel übers Heideland;
Der Himmel ließ, nachsinnend seiner Trauer,
Die Sonne lässig fallen aus der Hand.
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:
- Also set in Swedish (Svenska), a translation by Gustaf Fröding (1860 - 1911) , "Hedstämning" ; composed by Natanael Berg.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Heaven's grief", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Tristesse du ciel", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Jakob Kellner
This text was added to the website: 2003-10-13
Line count: 12
Word count: 83
Heaven's grief
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
Across the face of heaven wanders a thought,
that dark cloud there, so anxious, so heavy;
like a man sick to his soul in his bed,
the bushes whip back and forth in the wind.
From the sky comes a melancholy and languid rumbling,
the dark eye blinks many times,
(thus do eyes blink when they wish to weep)
and from the eyelid twitches a faint beam.
Now cool showers creep up from the moors,
and mists come quietly over the heathlands;
heaven dwells on its sadness;
and lets the sun drop from its hand.
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.
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Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2003-10-13
Line count: 12
Word count: 96