by Nikolaus Lenau (1802 - 1850)
Translation © by Linda Godry

Der leidige Frieden
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA LIT
Der leidige Frieden
Hat lange gewährt,
Wir warten geschieden,
Mein gutes Schwert!

Derweil ich gekostet
Im Keller den Wein,
Hingst du verrostet
An der Wand allein.

Von Sorte zu Sorte
Probiert' ich den Wein,
Indessen dorrte
Das Blut dir ein.

Ist endlich entglommen
Der heiße Streit,
Mein Schwert, und gekommen
Ist deine Zeit.

Ich [gab]1 deiner Klingen
Den blanken Schliff,
Ich lasse dich singen
Den Todespfiff.

Im Pulvernebel
Die Arbeit rauscht,
Wir haben, o Säbel,
Die Freuden getauscht.

Im brausenden Moste,
Mein durstiges Erz,
Betrinke dich, koste
Von Herz zu Herz.

Derweil du gekostet
Das rote Blut,
Ist mir eingerostet
Der Hals vor Glut.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   R. Schumann 

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Schumann: "geb'"

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):

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "La pau desplaent", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De vreeslijke vrede", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Linda Godry) , "The wretched peace", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "La paix désolante", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "La trista pace", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , "Bjaurioji taika", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 32
Word count: 105

The wretched peace
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
The wretched peace
Is taking too long,
We went our separate ways,
my worthy sword!

While I relished
The wine in the vaults,
You were getting rusty
Suspended from the wall all alone.

From this and that chateau
I sampled the wine,
While your blood
Went dry.

Finally broke out
The hot fight,
My sword, and now
Your time has come.

I sharpen your blade
To a shine,
I let you sing
The whistle of death.

In the gun smoke
We are fast workers,
We, oh my sabre
We each had our own.

In the foaming must,
My thirsty steel,
Drink your fill, sample
From heart to heart;

While you sample
The red blood,
My throat went dry
in the heat.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2006 by Linda Godry, (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:

 

This text was added to the website: 2006-11-07
Line count: 32
Word count: 121