by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)
Translation by Kate Freiligrath Kroeker (1845 - 1904)
Poseidon
Language: German (Deutsch)
Available translation(s): FRE
Die Sonnenlichter spielten Über das weithinrollende Meer; Fern auf der Reede glänzte das Schiff, Das mich zur Heimat tragen sollte; Aber es fehlte an gutem Fahrwind. Und ich saß noch ruhig auf weißer Düne, Am einsamen Strand, Und ich las das Lied vom Odysseus, Das alte, das ewig junge Lied, Aus dessen meerdurchrauschten Blättern Mir freudig entgegenstieg Der Atem der Götter, Und der leuchtende Menschenfrühling, Und der blühende Himmel von Hellas. Mein edles Herz begleitete treulich Den Sohn des Laertes, in Irrfahrt und Drangsal, Setzte sich mit ihm, seelenbekümmert, An gastliche Herde, Wo Königinnen Purpur spinnen, Und half ihm lügen und glücklich entrinnen Aus Riesenhöhlen und Nymphenarmen, Folgte ihm nach in kimmerische Nacht, Und in Sturm und Schiffbruch, Und duldete mit ihm unsägliches Elend. Seufzend sprach ich: Du böser Poseidon, Dein Zorn ist furchtbar, Und mir selber bangt Ob der eignen Heimkehr. Kaum sprach ich die Worte, Da schäumte das Meer, Und aus den Wellen stieg Das schilfbekränzte Haupt des Meergotts, Und höhnisch rief er: Fürchte dich nicht, Poetlein! Ich will nicht im gringsten gefährden Dein armes Schiffchen, Und nicht dein liebes Leben beängstgen Mit allzu bedenklichem Schaukeln. Denn du, Poetlein, hast mich nie erzürnt, Du hast kein einziges Türmchen verletzt An Priamos' heiliger Feste, Kein einziges Härchen hast du versengt Am Aug meines Sohns Polyphemos, Und dich hat niemals ratend beschützt Die Göttin der Klugheit, Pallas Athene. Also rief Poseidon Und tauchte zurück ins Meer; Und über den groben Seemannswitz Lachten unter dem Wasser Amphitrite, das plumpe Fischweib, Und die dummen Töchter des Nereus.
Authorship:
- by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), "Poseidon", appears in Buch der Lieder, in Die Nordsee, in Erster Zyklus, no. 5 [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):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Kate Freiligrath Kroeker (1845 - 1904) , "Poseidon", appears in Poems and Ballads of Heinrich Heine ; composed by Martin Edward Fallas Shaw.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Emma Lazarus) , appears in Poems and Ballads of Heinrich Heine, first published 1881
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Poséidon", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-05-05
Line count: 51
Word count: 255
Poseidon
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
The sunbeams were playing Lightly over the billowy ocean; Far out at sea I saw shining the ship That was to bear me homewards; But the right wind as yet was wanting, And tranquilly on the white sands I was sitting By the lonely sea, And I read the song of Ulysses, That old, that ever youthful song, From whose ocean-murmuring leaves Rose joyfully The breath of the gods, And the sunny spring of mankind, And the cloudless sky of fair Hellas. My noble and faithful heart accompanied The son of Laertes in toil and disaster: It sat down with him, grieving in spirit, At kindly hearths, Where queens sat spinning deep rich purple; It helped him to lie and to escape deftly From giants' caves and from nymphs' white arms; It followed him into Kimmerian night, Through storm and through shipwreck, And suffered with him unspeakable anguish. Sighing said I, "Revengeful Poseidon, Thy anger is awful, And myself am afraid Of my own return home." Scarcely had I spoken the words, When the sea foamed up high, And from the white-crested billows arose The head of the god, crowned with sea-weed, And cried he, contemptuous: "Fear not, my dear little Poet! I've no intention to harm in the least Thy poor little bark, Nor frighten thee out of thy poor little wits With too boist'rous a rocking: For thou, little Poet hast never incensed me, Thou never hast shaken the smallest turret Of the holy city of Priam; Nor hast thou singed e'en a single hair From the eye of my son Polyphemus; And never as yet has the Goddess of Wisdom Pallas Athenae, stood counselling beside thee." Thus cried out Poseidon, And dived back into the ocean; And at the vulgar old sailor's joke I heard Amphitrite, the coarse fish-woman, And the silly daughters of Nereus, Giggling beneath the waters.
Authorship:
- by Kate Freiligrath Kroeker (1845 - 1904), "Poseidon", appears in Poems and Ballads of Heinrich Heine [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), "Poseidon", appears in Buch der Lieder, in Die Nordsee, in Erster Zyklus, no. 5
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Martin Edward Fallas Shaw (1875 - 1958), "Poseidon", published 1932 [baritone, piano, and string quartet], from Water Folk : a song sequence, no. 3. [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-05-05
Line count: 51
Word count: 312