Under the chestnut tree

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by Richard von Schaukal (1874 - 1942)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Unterm Kastanienbaum

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Unterm Kastanienbaum
Saß ich und sann.
War einst mein Tag wie ein Traum.
Aber das Träumen verrann.

Stand auf und hob die Brust.
Leben ist schwer!
Sagt immer nur: "Du mußt!"
Hört nie: "Ich kann nicht mehr."

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Richard Schaukal, Tristia. Neue Gedichte aus den Jahren 1897-98, Leipzig, Verlag von P. Friesenhahn, 1898, page 12.

Text Authorship:

by Richard von Schaukal (1874 - 1942), "Unterm Kastanienbaum", appears in Tristia. Neue Gedichte aus den Jahren 1897-98, in Tristia (Lieder stiller Leiden) [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 Ludwig Ferdinand Schiedermair (1876 - 1957), "Unter'm Kastanienbaum sass ich und sann", op. 12 (Zwei Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1901 [ voice and piano ], Braunschweig, Bartels [sung text not yet checked]
by Richard Wetz (1875 - 1935), "Unterm Kastanienbaum sass ich und sann", op. 7 (Fünf Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 4, published 1900 [ voice and piano ], Breslau, Hainauer [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2022-10-13
Line count: 8
Word count: 37

Under the chestnut tree

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Under the chestnut tree 
I sat and pondered.
My day was once like a dream.
But the dreaming flowed away.

I stood up and raised my bosom.
Life is hard!
All it ever says is: "You must!"
It never hears: "I cannot go on any longer."

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of title(s):
"Unterm Kastanienbaum" = "Under the chestnut tree"
"Unter'm Kastanienbaum sass ich und sann" = "Under the chestnut tree I sat and pondered"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2022 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 Richard von Schaukal (1874 - 1942), "Unterm Kastanienbaum", appears in Tristia. Neue Gedichte aus den Jahren 1897-98, in Tristia (Lieder stiller Leiden)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2022-12-13
Line count: 8
Word count: 46