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by Clemens Maria Wenzeslaus von Brentano (1778 - 1842)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs
Es sang vor langen Jahren
Language: German (Deutsch)
[Es sang vor langen]1 Jahren Wohl auch die Nachtigall! [Das war wohl süßer Schall,]2 [Da wir zusammen waren.]3 Ich sing' und kann nicht weinen, Und spinne so allein, Den Faden klar und rein So lang' der Mond [wird]4 scheinen. [Da]5 wir [zusammen]6 waren, Da sang die Nachtigall; Nun [mahnet]7 mich ihr Schall, [Daß]8 du von mir gefahren. So oft der Mond mag scheinen, [Gedenk' ich]9 dein allein. Mein Herz ist klar und rein -- Gott wolle uns vereinen! Seit du von mir gefahren, Singt stets die Nachtigall, Ich [denke]10 bei ihrem Schall, Wie wir zusammen waren. Gott wolle uns vereinen! Hier spinn' ich so allein. Der Mond scheint klar und rein, Ich sing' und möchte weinen!
J. Lang sets stanza 1 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Clemens Brentano, Aus der Chronika eines fahrenden Schülers, Berlin: Paul Gerh. Heinersdorff, Hofbuchhandlung, [1871], pages 31-32.
1 Kauffmann: "Es sang vor vielen"; Matthes: "Einst sang vor langen"; further changes may exist not noted.2 Lang (op. 36[38]): "Da wir beisammen waren"; Lang (unpublished): " Als wir beisammen waren,"; Thuille: "Das war so süßer Schall"
3 Lang (op. 36[38]): "Das war wohl süßer Schall!"; Lang (unpublished): "Ach! es war wohl süßer Schall!"
4 Lang (op. 36[38] when the text is repeated): "mag"; Thuille: "will"
5 Reichardt: "Als"
6 Thuille: "beisammen"
7 Reichardt: "martert"
8 Reichardt: "Da"
9 Reichardt: "Denk ich wohl"
10 Lang (op. 36[38]), Reichardt, Thuille: "denk' "
Text Authorship:
- by Clemens Maria Wenzeslaus von Brentano (1778 - 1842), no title, written 1802, appears in Aus der Chronika eines fahrenden Schülers, first published 1818 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Wolf von Aichelburg (1912 - 1994), "Der Spinnerin Lied", in collection Lucrări ale compozitorilor germani din R.P.R., Bucureşti, c1952 [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Johann Gottfried) Heinrich Bellermann (1832 - 1903), "Es sang vor langen Jahren ", op. 10 (Sechs Lieder) no. 1, published 1866 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Trautwein [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alphons Diepenbrock (1862 - 1921), "Lied der Spinnerin", 1898, orchestrated 1906 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Emmerich (1836 - 1891), "Der Spinnerin Lied", op. 9 (Acht Gesänge) no. 6, published 1858 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Kahnt [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eduard (Edward) Franz Carl Hubert Hartenfels (1810 - 1898), "Der Spinnerin Nachtlied" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Fanny Hensel (1805 - 1847), "Altes Lied", 1837 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Théodore Kahle , "Der Spinnerin Nachtlied", op. 21 (Neun Lieder für 1 tiefere Stimme mit Pianoforte), Heft 1 no. 3, published 1876 [ low voice and piano ], Berlin, Bahn [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Karl) Emil Kauffmann (1836 - 1909), "Der Spinnerin Nachtlied", op. 4 (Vier Lieder) no. 4 [ mezzo-soprano or baritone and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Krause (b. 1889), "Der Spinnerin Lied", op. 51 no. 4, published 1972?, from Gedichte aus alter Zeit, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Es sang vor langen Jahren wohl auch die Nachtigall", op. 36[38] (Drei Lieder) no. 1 (1863), published 1867 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig und Winterthur: J. Rieter-Biedermann [sung text checked 2 times]
- by Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Es sang vor langen Jahren", 1863, stanza 1 [ voice and piano ], unpublished, incomplete [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Julius Matthes , "Der Spinnerin Nachtlied", published 1886 [ mezzo-soprano or alto and piano ], from Kompositionen für Gesang. Heft 2. Sechs Lieder für Mezzo-Sopran oder Alt mit Pianoforte, no. 2, Berlin, Annecke [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arvo Pärt (b. 1935), "Es sang vor langen Jahren", subtitle: "Motette für de la Motte", 1984, first performed 1984 [ alto or countertenor, viola, and violin ], Universal Edition [sung text not yet checked]
- by Luise Reichardt (1779 - 1826), "Der Spinnerin Nachtlied", published 1811 [ voice and piano ], New York: Da Capo Press, 1981 [sung text checked 2 times]
- by (Johann) Melchior Ernst Sachs (1843 - c1910), "Der Spinnerin Nachtlied", op. 7 (Sieben Lieder für gemischten Chor) no. 7, published 1875 [ mixed chorus ], Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
- by August Saran (1836 - 1922), "Sehnsucht", op. 4 (Sechs Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1873 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Leuckart [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ludwig Wilhelm Andreas Maria Thuille (1861 - 1907), "Der Spinnerin Lied", op. 24 (Drei Lieder nach Gedichten von Clemens Brentano) no. 2, published 1902 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig: Leuckart [sung text checked 2 times]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Il y a de nombreuses années", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 126
Long years ago the nightingale
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
[Long]1 years ago the nightingale Must surely have sung as well! [That was indeed a sweet sound]2 When we were together.]3 I sing and cannot weep, And thus alone I spin The thread so clear and pure As long as the moon [shall]4 shine. When we were together The nightingale sang; Now its sound [reminds]5 me [That]6 you have gone away from me. Whenever the moon shines, [I think]7 only of you. My heart is serene and pure - May God unite us. Since you went away from me, The nightingale is always singing; When I hear it I remember How we used to be together. May God unite us! Here I spin all alone. The moon shines so clearly and purely; I sing and want to weep.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Translated titles:
Altes Lied = Old song
Der Spinnerin Lied = Song of a spinning girl
Der Spinnerin Nachtlied = Night song of a spinning girl Es sang vor langen Jahren = Long years ago there sang
Lied der Spinnerin= Song of a spinning girl
Sehnsucht = Yearning
1 Kauffmann: "Many"; further changes may exist not noted.
2 Lang (both settings): "When we were together"; Thuille: "That was such a sweet sound"
3 Lang (op. 36[38]): "That was indeed a sweet sound!"; Lang (unpublished): "Ah! it was indeed a sweet sound!"
4 Lang (op. 36[38] when the text is repeated): "might"; Thuille: "wishes to"
5 Reichardt: "tortures"
6 Reichardt: "Since"
7 Reichardt: "I indeed think"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Clemens Maria Wenzeslaus von Brentano (1778 - 1842), no title, written 1802, appears in Aus der Chronika eines fahrenden Schülers, first published 1818
This text was added to the website: 2006-12-23
Line count: 24
Word count: 135