Secret sorrow | Darkness was falling. -- The maiden sits

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Adolf Katsch (1813 - 1906)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Heimliches Leid

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Es dunkelte. -- Das Mägdlein sitzt 
Allein.
An ihrem Finger glänzt ein Ring 
Mit blauem Stein. 

Sie schaut aufs Ringelein hinab 
So trüb: 
"Du bist ja alles, alles was 
Von ihm mir blieb. 

"Du solltest seiner Treue Pfand 
Mir sein ... 
Dahin die Lieb', dahin die Treu', 
Ich bin allein, 

"Ich bin allein!  --  O halt dich stark, 
Mein Herz, 
Daß keiner schaue deinen Gram 
Und deinen Schmerz!"  ...

Ein bleiches Sternlein hat ihn doch 
Gesehn: 
Sein Strahl schwamm auf dem blauen Stein 
In einer Thrän'.

Confirmed with Neuer deutscher Parnass, ed. by Max Moltke, Leipzig: Carl Rühle, 1882, page 160.

Text Authorship:

by Adolf Katsch (1813 - 1906), "Heimliches Leid" [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 Hanns Avril (1879 - 1951), "Heimliches Leid", op. 10 no. 2, published 1908 [ voice and piano ], from Ringlieder, no. 2, Nürnberg: Egon Schircks [sung text checked 1 time]
by Lothar Kempter (1844 - 1918), "Heimliches Leid", op. 2 (Zwei Gedichte von Adolph Katsch für Singstimme und Klavier) no. 1 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Secret sorrow", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Melanie Trumbull

This text was added to the website: 2020-06-20
Line count: 20
Word count: 82

Secret sorrow

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Darkness was falling. -- The maiden sits
Alone.
Upon her finger sparkles a ring
With a blue stone.

She gazes down upon the ring
So sombrely:
"You are all, all that
Is left to me of him.

"You were to be the pledge of his faithfulness
To me . . .
Gone is love, gone is faithfulness,
I am alone,

"I am alone! -- Oh, be strong,
My heart,
So that no one may see your grief
And your pain!” . . .

But a pale little star nevertheless
Did see it:
Its beam floated upon the blue stone
In a tear.

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 Adolf Katsch (1813 - 1906), "Heimliches Leid"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2024-01-11
Line count: 20
Word count: 100