Futile love | Yes, I know it, this true love

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by Joseph Karl Bernard (1780 - 1850)

Translation © by Emily Ezust

Vergebliche Liebe

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE

Ja, ich weiß es, diese treue Liebe
Hegt umsonst mein wundes Herz;
Wenn mir nur die kleinste Hoffnung bliebe:
Reich belohnet wär' mein Schmerz!

Aber auch die Hoffnung ist vergebens,
Kenn' ich doch ihr grausam Spiel.
Trotz der Treue meines [heissen]¹ Strebens
Fliehet ewig mich das Ziel. -

Dennoch lieb' ich, dennoch hoff' ich immer,
Ohne Liebe, ohne Hoffnung treu;
Lassen kann ich diese Liebe nimmer,
Mit ihr bricht das Herz entzwey!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• F. Schubert

View text without footnotes

Confirmed with Selam. Ein Almanach für Freunde des Mannigfaltigen. Herausgegeben von I.F.Castelli. Dritter Jahrgang 1814. Wien, gedruckt und im Verlage bey Anton Strauß, page 199.

¹ omitted by Schubert

Text Authorship:

by Joseph Karl Bernard (1780 - 1850), "Vergebliche Liebe" [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 Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Vergebliche Liebe", op. posth. 173 (Sechs Lieder) no. 3, D 177 (1815), published 1867 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Amor inútil", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Vergeefse liefde", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Futile love", copyright ©
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Amour inutile", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 72

Futile love

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

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Yes, I know it, this true love
is cherished in vain by my injured heart!
If only there remained for me the smallest hope,
I would be richly rewarded for my pain!

But even this hope is futile,
for I know well her cruel game!
Despite the faithfulness of my struggle,
my goal ever flies from me!

Nevertheless, I love; nevertheless, I hope, always
without love, without true hope;
I can never abandon this love!
Without it, my heart would break in two!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust, (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.

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Joseph Karl Bernard (1780 - 1850), "Vergebliche Liebe"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 83