My golden coins | My golden coins

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by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)

Translation © by Hulda Sif Ólafsdóttir

Meine güldenen Dukaten

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Meine güldenen Dukaten,
Sagt wo seid ihr hingeraten?
Seid ihr bei den güldnen Fischlein,
Die im Bache froh und munter
Tauchen auf und tauchen unter?
Seid ihr bei den güldnen Blümlein,
Die auf lieblich grüner Aue
Funkeln hell im Morgentaue?
Seid ihr bei den güldnen Vöglein,
Die da schweifen glanzumwoben
In den blauen Lüften oben?
Seid ihr bei den güldnen Sternlein,
Die im leuchtenden Gewimmel
Lächeln jede Nacht am Himmel?
Ach! Ihr güldenen Dukaten,
Schwimmt nicht in des Baches Well,
Funkelt nicht auf grüner Au,
Schwebet nicht in Lüften blau,
Lächelt nicht am Himmel hell -
Meine Manichäer, traun!
Halten euch in ihren Klaun.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), "Das Lied von den Dukaten", appears in Buch der Lieder, in Junge Leiden, in Romanzen, no. 17 [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 Walter Thomas Heyn (b. 1953), "Das Lied von den Dukaten : aus dem Zyklus "Junge Leiden" (Romanzen) ", op. 63 (Lebensgruß : 10 Lieder nach Texten von Heinrich Heine) no. 9, published c2003 [ low voice and guitar ] [sung text not yet checked]
by T. R. Liewald , "Lied von den Dukaten" [sung text not yet checked]
by Aug. Schumann , "Das Lied von den Ducaten", op. 9 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 6, published 1884 [ voice and piano ], Baden-Baden, Sommermeyer [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Hulda Sif Ólafsdóttir) , "My golden coins", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "La chanson des ducats", copyright © 2010, (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: 21
Word count: 103

My golden coins

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

My golden coins
Say where have you gone to?
Are you with the little golden fishes,
that gladly and lively in the brook
emerge and submerge?
Are you with the little golden flowers,
that on the lovely green field
brightly sparkle in the frozen morning dew?
Are you with the little golden birds,
that are encircled in shimmering light
in the blue air above?
Are you with the little golden stars,
that in bright swarm
smile each night in the sky?
Ah! You golden coins
are not swimming in the brook's waves,
are not sparkling on the green field,
are not floating in the blue air,
are not smiling at the bright sky --
My Manichaers, trust me!
They retain you in their claws.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2007 by Hulda Sif Ólafsdóttir, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Hulda Sif Ólafsdóttir. Contact: huldasif (AT) hotmail (DOT) com
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), "Das Lied von den Dukaten", appears in Buch der Lieder, in Junge Leiden, in Romanzen, no. 17
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2007-10-15
Line count: 21
Word count: 123