Satellite | You are the sun that sits enthroned upon the clouds

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by Richard Volkmann (1830 - 1889), as Richard Leander

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Trabant

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Du bist die Sonne, die auf den Wolken thront.
Du bist die Sonne, ich bin der Mond.

Urquell des Lichtes, das ewig brennt, 
Durchklärt die Sonne das Firmament.

Der Äther zittert von ihrem Glanz;
Sie dankt allein nur sich selbst ihn ganz.

Der Mond ist dunkel, ohn' eignes Licht; 
Ihm schenkt die Sonne, was ihm gebricht.

Du bist die Sonne; der Mond bin ich,
Ich strahl' und leuchte, doch nur durch dich.

Durch alle Meere, durch fernes Land,
Folgt' ich getreulich dir als Trabant!

Confirmed with Richard v. Volkmann-Leander, Kleine Geschichten und Gedichte, Leipzig: Druck und Verlag von Philipp Reclam jun., 1920, page 65.

Text Authorship:

by Richard Volkmann (1830 - 1889), as Richard Leander, "Trabant", appears in Alte und Neue Troubadour-Lieder [author's text checked 1 time 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 Ludwig Finzenhagen , "Trabant", op. 6 (Drei Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 2, published 1900 [ voice and piano ], Magdeburg, Rathke [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Satellite", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2024-08-14
Line count: 12
Word count: 84

Satellite

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

You are the sun that sits enthroned upon the clouds.
You are the sun, I am the moon.

Fountainhead of light that burns eternally,
The sun purifies the firmament.

The aether trembles before [the sun's] radiance;
It owes the existence [of its radiance] solely to itself.

The moon is dark, without its own light;
The sun gives it what it lacks.

You are the sun; I am the moon,
I shine and gleam, but only because of you.

Through all the oceans, through distant lands,
I follow you faithfully as your satellite!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2024 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.
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Richard Volkmann (1830 - 1889), as Richard Leander, "Trabant", appears in Alte und Neue Troubadour-Lieder
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2024-09-21
Line count: 12
Word count: 92