Yes or no? | Ah, to love thus

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by August Kopisch (1799 - 1853)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Ja oder nein?

Language: German (Deutsch) after the Italian (Italiano)

Our translations: ENG

Ach, so zu lieben
  Ist eine Pein!
Liebst du mich, sag' mir:
  Ja oder nein?

Ach, was erlitt ich,
  Seit ich dich sah!
Sag' mir doch endlich:
  Nein oder ja!

Hoffe kein Wörtchen
  Groß oder klein;
Eh du mir sagest
  Ja oder nein!

Wochen vergingen
  Monden beinah --
Und doch nicht hör' ich
  Nicht nein, nicht ja!

Alle mein Sehnen,
  Still wird es sein
Hör' ich ein ernstes
  Ja oder nein!

Lieben wird sterben,
  Sterben, ja, ja,
Höret man niemals
  Nein oder ja!

Note: the first line and title match this text by Georg Hesekiel.

Confirmed with Gesammelte Werke von August Kopisch, geordnet und herausgegeben von Freundes Hand, Dritter Band, Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1865, pages 204-205.

Text Authorship:

by August Kopisch (1799 - 1853), "Ja oder nein?", appears in Agrumi. Volksthümliche Poesien aus allen Mundarten Italiens und seiner Inseln gesammelt und übersetzt, no. 8 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in Italian (Italiano) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) [text unavailable]
- Go to the text page.

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 ]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Yes or no?", copyright © 2021, (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: 2010-01-29
Line count: 24
Word count: 82

Yes or no?

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Ah, to love thus
  Is a misery!
Do you love me, tell me:
  Yes or no?

Ah, what I have suffered
  Since I saw you!
Tell me finally:
  No or yes!

I hope for no other word,
  Large or small,
Before you tell me
  Yes or no!

Weeks have passed,
  Months almost --
And still I hear
  Neither no nor yes!

All my yearning,
  It shall be assuaged,
If I hear a solemn
  Yes or no!

Love shall die,
  Die, yes, yes,
If one never hears
  No or yes!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2021 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 August Kopisch (1799 - 1853), "Ja oder nein?", appears in Agrumi. Volksthümliche Poesien aus allen Mundarten Italiens und seiner Inseln gesammelt und übersetzt, no. 8
- Go to the text page.

Based on:

a text in Italian (Italiano) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) [text unavailable]
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2021-03-18
Line count: 24
Word count: 88