By the fireside | We two sat chatting in the night

by Victor Alexis Dela Montagne (1854 - 1915)

Translation Singable translation by J. A. Homan

Bij 't Vuur

Language: Dutch (Nederlands)

Wij zaten koutend bij het vuur
In't kalme winteravonduur,
Als of vergrijst ons haren,
En uw kersroode lippen niet rood en waren.

Het haardvuur wierp zijn roode schijn
Door't blanke, geurige kamerkijn,
Op uw bleek gezichtje mede
't Geheel een beeld van recht huisliken vrede.

Maar tergend staakt gij naar de vlam
Het kleine voetje
En ik na het knielend, staamlend tusschen 
Mijne beide handen, en dekte 't met kussen!

Toen vielt ge minziek m'aan den hals!
En is een vrouwenharte toch zoo valsch?
Wie kon het raden, of weten ...
De lente kwam, reeds was ik vergeten.

Text Authorship:

by Victor Alexis Dela Montagne (1854 - 1915) [author's text not yet checked 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 Frank Valentin Van der Stucken (1858 - 1929), "Bij 't Vuur", op. 5 (Neun Gesänge) no. 8, published 1880, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Carl Hebbel ; composed by Frank Valentin Van der Stucken.

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

ENG English [singable] (J. A. Homan) , "By the fireside"

Researcher for this page: Hanne-Joost Peeters

This text was added to the website: 2009-02-14
Line count: 16
Word count: 97

By the fireside

Language: English after the Dutch (Nederlands)

We two sat chatting in the night,
Serenely watching the fireside;
As though we had grown older
And thy warm lips so rosy, were pale and colder.

The hearth's flame threw its ruddy light
O'er our small room, so neat and bright,
On thy lovely face, my treasure;
It was a picture of real homely pleasure.

But sudden, thou strechest in the flame
Thy foot so tender and I took it kneeling, trembling
From the glowing ardent embers
And kissed it with rapture.

Then thou fellst lovesich in my embrace!
Ah, are all women's hearts false and base?
Who can conceive all life's madness!
When springtime came, lone was I in sadness!

Text Authorship:

Singable translation by J. A. Homan , "By the fireside" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in Dutch (Nederlands) by Victor Alexis Dela Montagne (1854 - 1915)
- 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 ]

Researcher for this page: Hanne-Joost Peeters

This text was added to the website: 2009-02-14
Line count: 16
Word count: 112