by Josef Wenzig (1807 - 1876)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

O Felsen, lieber Felsen
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the Czech (Čeština) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE
O Felsen, lieber Felsen,
Was stürztest du nicht ein,
Als ich mich trennen mußte
Von dem Geliebten mein?

Laß dämmern, Gott, laß dämmern,
Daß bald der Abend wink'
Und daß auch bald mein Leben
In Dämmerung versink'!

O Nachtigall, du traute,
O sing' im grünen Hain,
Erleichtere das Herz mir
Und meines Herzens Pein!

Mein Herz, das liegt erstarret
Zu Stein in meiner Brust,
Es findet hier auf Erden
An nichts, an nichts mehr Lust.

Ich frei' wohl einen Andern
Und lieb' ich ihn auch nicht;
Ich tue, was mein Vater
Und meine Mutter spricht.

Ich tue nach des Vaters
Und nach der Mutter Wort,
Doch heiße Tränen weinet
Mein Herz in einem fort.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

Based on:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

Another version of this text exists in the database.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Lament II", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Plainte II", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-05
Line count: 24
Word count: 114

Lament II
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
O cliff, dear cliff,
Why did you not collapse
When I had to part
From my Beloved?

Let it get dark, God, let twilight fall,
So that soon evening will beckon
And so that my life will also soon
Sink into dusk!

O nightingale, you dear,
O sing in the green grove,
Make my heart easy,
And relieve my heart's pain!

My heart, it lies stiffening
To stone in my breast,
It finds here on earth
Nothing, nothing to give it pleasure.

I am engaged to another man,
And love him not;
I do what my father
And my mother say.

I obey my father's
And my mother's words,
Yet hot tears without end
Does my heart weep.

Text 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

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.


Based on:

Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-05
Line count: 24
Word count: 118