by Frederick Delius (1862 - 1934)
Translation Singable translation by Jelka Rosen (Delius) (1868 - 1935)

Black Roses
Language: English  after the Swedish (Svenska) 
Tell me, why are you so sad today?
You have always been so merry and gay!
Believe me, I am no more sad today
Than when you thought that I was merry and gay;
For sorrow has nightblack roses.

A tangle of roses grows thick round my heart
And stinging thorns make wounds that smart.
And roses and thorns spread night and day;
They have driven all joy and peace away,
For sorrow has nightblack roses!

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):


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-24
Line count: 10
Word count: 76

Schwarze Rosen
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
Sag, warum bist du so traurig heut?
Du warst immer so voll Fröhlichkeit!
Ach, glaub' mir, ich bin gar nicht trauriger heut',
Als da du dachtest, ich sei voll Fröhlichkeit;
Denn Kummer hat nachtschwarze Rosen.

Im Herzen wächst mir ein Rosengerank,
Das quält mich immer und macht mich krank.
Das wächst und wuchert Tag und Nacht;
Es hat längst mich um Freuden und Ruhe gebracht,
Denn Kummer hat nachtschwarze Rosen!

Text Authorship:

Based on:

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):


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-24
Line count: 10
Word count: 70