The betrayed one speaks | It was deep night

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by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Die Betrogene spricht

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE

Die Nacht war tief,
Und die Mutter schlief,
Und in Gärtchen blühte der Mai.
Ich war ein Kind,
Und der Juniwind
Strich schwül an der Linde vorbei.

Vom alten Baum
Warf ein Sommertraum
Mir ein blühend Zweiglein ins Haar.
Du küßtest mich,
Und ich liebte dich --
Ich wußte von keiner Gefahr.

Nun bist du weit . . .
Meine Sehnsucht schreit
Wie ein Kind nach der Mutter, nach dir.
Mein Herz ist müd',
Und mein Leib verblüht . . .
Geliebter, was thatest du mir?

Confirmed with Der Türmer: Monatschrift für Gemüt und Geist, Zweiter Jahrgang, Band 1 (Oktober 1899 bis März 1900), page 144.

The poem is preceded by the following epigraph: "Das ist nun schon Jahre um Jahre her, / Und doch, als ob's gestern gewesen wär' . . ."

Text Authorship:

by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921), "Die Betrogene spricht" [author's text checked 2 times 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 Max Reger (1873 - 1916), "Die Betrogene spricht", op. 43 (Acht Lieder) no. 6 (1900), published 1900 [ medium voice and piano ], München, Aibl Verl. [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "La dona traïda parla", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The betrayed one speaks", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2012, (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: 2011-07-08
Line count: 18
Word count: 85

The betrayed one speaks

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

It was deep night
And my mother slept,
And in the garden May was blossoming.
I was a child,
And the June-wind
Brushed moistly past the linden tree.

From the old tree
A summer dream tossed
A blossoming twig into my hair,
You kissed me,
And I loved you --
I knew of no danger.

Now you are far away . . .
Like a child for its mother
My yearning cries out for you.
My heart is weary,
And my body has lost its bloom . . .
Beloved, what did you do to me?

The original poem is preceded by an epigraph that can be translated as follows: " That is now already years upon years ago, / And yet, as if it were yesterday . . ."

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2024 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 Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921), "Die Betrogene spricht"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2024-01-27
Line count: 18
Word count: 95