The forsaken one | Ah, ye forests, dark forests

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by Peter Rosegger (1843 - 1918)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Die Verlassene

Language: German (Deutsch) after the Slovak (Slovenčina)

Our translations: ENG

Ach, ihr Wälder! dunkle Wälder!
Dunkle Miletiner Wälder!
-- Möcht' wohl wissen, was ihr Sommers,
Winters immer gleich ergrünet?!

Möchte gern nicht länger weinen
Und mein Herz nicht länger quälen
-- Aber sagt, ihr guten Leute,
Wer sollt' weinen nicht, verlassen? 

Sagt, wo weilt mein edler Vater? 
Weh! er liegt vom Feind erschlagen!
Wo ist meine gute Mutter?
Über ihrem Haupt blüh'n Blumen! 

Hab' nicht Brüder! hab' nicht Schwestern, 
In der Fremde ist mein Liebling! 
Mehr, als Vater und als Mutter 
Liebte ich den theuren Jüngling! 

Ach, ihr Wälder! dunkle Wälder! 
Dunkle Miletiner Wälder! 
-- Möcht' wohl wissen, was ihr Sommers,
Winters immer gleich ergrünet?!

Confirmed with Heimgarten, Heft 1, II. Jahrgang (Oktober 1877), page 65.

Text Authorship:

by Peter Rosegger (1843 - 1918), "Die Verlassene", first published 1878 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in Slovak (Slovenčina) 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 ]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Adalbert von Goldschmidt.
Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt (1819 - 1892) , "Die Verlassene" ; composed by Robert Franz, Hermann Wichmann.

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The forsaken one", copyright © 2020, (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: 2011-11-07
Line count: 20
Word count: 102

The forsaken one

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Ah, ye forests, dark forests,
Dark Miletian forests!
-- Gladly would I know why you remain
Exactly as green in summer as in winter?!

Gladly would I no longer weep
And no longer torment my heart
But, good people, tell me
Who would not weep, thus forsaken?

Tell me, where is my noble father?
Woe! he lies slain by the enemy!
Where is my good mother?
Above her head flowers bloom!

I have no brothers, have no sisters,
My darling is in a foreign land!
More than [I loved] father and mother
I loved the dear lad!

Ah, ye forests, dark forests,
Dark Miletian forests!
-- Gladly would I know why you remain
Exactly as green in summer as in winter?!

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 Peter Rosegger (1843 - 1918), "Die Verlassene", first published 1878
- Go to the text page.

Based on:

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

This text was added to the website: 2020-08-06
Line count: 20
Word count: 119