by
Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)
Wahrhaftig, wir beide bilden
Language: German (Deutsch)
Wahrhaftig, wir beide bilden
Ein kurioses Paar,
Die Liebste ist schwach auf den Beinen,
Der Liebhaber lahm sogar.
Sie ist ein leidendes Kätzchen,
Und er ist krank wie ein Hund,
Ich glaube, im Kopfe sind beide
Nicht sonderlich gesund.
Vertraut sind ihre Seelen,
Doch jedem von beiden bleibt fremd
Was bei dem andern befindlich
Wohl zwischen Seel und Hemd.
Sie sei eine Lotosblume,
Bildet die Liebste sich ein;
Doch er, der blasse Geselle,
Vermeint der Mond zu sein.
Die Lotosblume erschließet
Ihr Kelchlein im Mondenlicht,
Doch statt des befruchtenden Lebens
Empfängt sie nur ein Gedicht.
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
• D. Blake D. Blake sets stanzas 1-2, 4-5 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
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Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Günter Bialas (1907 - 1992), "Die Lotosblume", published 1991 [ duet for soprano and tenor with piano ], from Aus der Matratzengruft : ein Liederspiel nach und mit Heinrich Heine, in part 4: Lamentationen, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by David Leonard Blake (b. 1936), "Lotosblume I", published 1981, stanzas 1-2,4-5 [ high voice and instrumental ensemble (11 instruments) ], from From the mattress grave : a cycle of twelve songs to poems by Heine, no. 9 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by David Leonard Blake (b. 1936), "Lotosblume", published 1978 [ voice and piano ], from Nine Songs, no. 7 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Signe Lund-Skabo (1868 - 1950), "Wahrhaftig (Et sandt Ord)", op. 28 no. 1, published 1900 [sung text not yet checked]
- by René Staar (b. 1951), "Lotosblume", 1997, first performed 1997, from Heine-Fragmente (1997), no. 2, unpublished [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English [singable] (Peter Palmer) , "Lotus 1", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-11-07
Line count: 20
Word count: 95
Lotus 1
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Quite clearly, this couple's making
A most unusual sight,
The sweetheart's unsteady when walking,
But worse is her lover's plight.
She's like a poor little kitten,
While he's as sick as as a hound;
I wager the thinking of neither
Rates as especially sound.
Their souls are closely wedded,
But neither could tell you, if pressed,
Just what the other is keeping
Hid between soul and vest.
That she is a lotus blossom
Mam'selle is dreaming all day,
But he, her pale-faced companion,
The part of Moon would play.
The lotus blossom now opens
Her chalice so tiny and pink;
Instead of his life-giving pollen,
He offers her poems to drink.
Note: this is a revised American version of the one published with the David Blake setting.
Text Authorship:
- Singable translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2009 by Peter Palmer, (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:
This text was added to the website: 2009-06-10
Line count: 20
Word count: 111
