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by Aleksey Nikolayevich Pleshcheyev (1825 - 1893)
Translation Singable translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Был старый король... (Эту песню
Language: Russian (Русский)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Был старый король... (Эту песню
Я, други, слыхал в старину.)
Седой и с остылой душою,
Он взял молодую жену.

Был паж с голубыми глазами,
Исполнен отваги и сил;
Он шелковый шлейф королевы
Прекрасной и юной носил.

Докончить ли старую песню?
Звучит так уныло она...
Друг друга они полюбили,
И смерть им была суждена.

About the headline (FAQ)

Show a transliteration: Default | DIN | GOST

Note on Transliterations

Text Authorship:

  • by Aleksey Nikolayevich Pleshcheyev (1825 - 1893), no title, written 1845

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, written 1830, appears in Neue Gedichte, in Neuer Frühling, no. 29
    • Go to the text page.

See other settings of this text.


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-04-22
Line count: 12
Word count: 53

Der König war alt
 (Sung text for setting by V. Kalinnikov)
 Matches original text
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the Russian (Русский) 
Der König war alt - dieses Märchen ward,
Freunde, mir oft einst erzählt,
der Graubart des frostiges Herz
ein Weib jung und schön sie gewählt. 

Sein Page, ein blauäugig Bürschlein,
voll Jugendmut, kräftig und schön
zum Tragen der seidenen Sckleppe
der Königin ward ausersehen.

Das Ende vom Lied, ob ich es künde?
Es klingt gar so traurig, so trüb.
Sie mussten im Kümmerniss sterben,
sie hatten einander zu lieb. 

Composition:

    Set to music by Vasily Sergeyevich Kalinnikov (1866 - 1901), "Der König war alt", 1894, published 1901 [ voice and piano ], also set in Russian (Русский)

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Based on:

  • a text in Russian (Русский) by Aleksey Nikolayevich Pleshcheyev (1825 - 1893), no title, written 1845
    • Go to the text page.

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, written 1830, appears in Neue Gedichte, in Neuer Frühling, no. 29
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view


Researcher for this page: Philip Taylor

This text was added to the website: 2009-10-13
Line count: 12
Word count: 68

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