At the sea | So gently, so quietly it lay there

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by Hermann von Lingg (1820 - 1905)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Am Meere

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

So sanft, so ruhig lag es da, 
Das Meer in seinen Purpurrosen;
       Ich trat ihm nah --
Mit einem Male hört' ich's tosen; 
Es schlug den Strand mit Donnerwucht 
In ew'gem Andrang, ew'ger Flucht --
Erschüttert bebt davon die Bucht.

Ja Meer, das bist du, friedevoll 
Und schmeichelnd in den Sonnenstrahlen; 
       Dein Zorngeroll
Aus Tiefen voll Titanenqualen
Erkennt erst, wer dir nahe tritt;
Nimm auch, was ich Geringes litt, 
In dein erhab'nes Zürnen mit!

Confirmed with Die Gartenlaube, 29. Band (1881), No. 8, page 131.

Text Authorship:

by Hermann von Lingg (1820 - 1905), "Am Meere" [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 M. Pleyer , "Am Meere", op. 19, published 1896 [ men's chorus and piano ], Aussig: Pleyer [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "At the sea", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2020-08-17
Line count: 14
Word count: 72

At the sea

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

So gently, so quietly it lay there,
The sea in its crimson roses;
       I approached it --
All of a sudden I heard it roaring;
It struck the shore with the might of thunder
In eternal rushing, eternal receding --
Shattered, the bay trembles.

Yes, sea, that is you, peaceful
And beguiling in the sunbeams;
       Your furious raging
From the depths of titanic agonies
Is only known to those who come near to you;
Take up as well that slight suffering of mine
Into your lofty raging!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2020 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 Hermann von Lingg (1820 - 1905), "Am Meere"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2020-08-17
Line count: 14
Word count: 85