by Christian Reinhold (1813 - 1856)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Der Geiger
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
  Das ist der alte Geigersmann, 
Hat seine Geige so lieb; 
Und spielt er seine Geige an,
[Da]1 wird das Auge mir trüb.

  Er spielt auch immer nur Eine Weis',
Im Dunkeln spielt er sie;
Sie geht so sanft, so todtenleis,
Zu Ende bringt er sie nie.

  Es ist, als wenn verlischt ein Licht, 
Windstill, auf heil'gem Schrein, 
Als wenn ein sterbend Auge bricht 
Lächelnd in himmlischem Schein. 

  Ach, guter Geiger, daß du doch 
Das [End']2 kannst finden nicht! 
Es bleibt wohl aufgespart dir noch 
[Da droben im ewigen]3 Licht.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   G. Jenner 

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with C. Reinhold, Gedichte, Stuttgart: Carl Mäcken, 1853, page 114.

1 Jenner: "So"
2 Jenner: "Ende"
3 Jenner: "Droben im himmlischen"

Text Authorship:

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

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

  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The fiddler", 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: 2024-04-12
Line count: 16
Word count: 93

The fiddler
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
  That is the old fiddler,
He loves his fiddle so much;
And when he begins to play his fiddle
My eyes become dimmed [with tears].

  And he always plays a single tune,
In the darkness he plays it;
It goes so gently, so deadly quiet,
He never manages to finish it.

  It is as if a light is extinguished,
Windless, upon a holy shrine,
As if eyes grow dim in death,
Smiling in heavenly radiance.

  Ah, good fiddler, that you 
Cannot find the end!
It must still be saved up for you
[Up yonder in the eternal]1 light.

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Jenner: "On high in the heavenly"

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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This text was added to the website: 2024-04-12
Line count: 16
Word count: 100