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by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)
Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Meeresstille
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  FRE
Meeresstille! Ihre Strahlen
Wirft die Sonne auf das Wasser,
Und im wogenden Geschmeide
Zieht das Schiff die grünen Furchen.

Bei dem Steuer liegt der Bootsmann
Auf dem Bauch, und schnarchet leise.
Bei dem Mastbaum, segelflickend,
Kauert der beteerte Schiffsjung.

Hinterm Schmutze seiner Wangen
Sprüht es rot, wehmütig zuckt es
Um das breite Maul, und schmerzlich
Schaun die großen, schönen Augen.

Denn der Kapitän steht vor ihm,
Tobt und flucht und schilt ihn: Spitzbub.
«Spitzbub! einen Hering hast du
Aus der Tonne mir gestohlen!»

Meeresstille! aus den Wellen
Taucht hervor ein kluges Fischlein,
Wärmt das Köpfchen in der Sonne,
Plätschert lustig mit dem Schwänzchen.

Doch die Möwe, aus den Lüften,
Schießt herunter auf das Fischlein,
Und den raschen Raub im Schnabel,
Schwingt sie sich hinauf ins Blaue.

Text Authorship:

  • by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), "Meeresstille", appears in Buch der Lieder, in Die Nordsee, in Erster Zyklus, no. 9 [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 Christian Bruhn (b. 1934), "Meeresstille" [ voice and orchestra ], from Heine-Lieder, no. 13 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Zeke Hecker (b. 1947), "Meeresstille", published 2005 [ tenor and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Manfred Schiebel (b. 1969), "Meeresstille" [sung text not yet checked]

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

  • ENG English (Emma Lazarus) , "Calm", appears in Poems and Ballads of Heinrich Heine, first published 1881
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Mer calme", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-05-06
Line count: 24
Word count: 126

Mer calme
Language: French (Français)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Mer calme ! Le soleil
Projette ses rayons sur l'eau,
Et, dans ses atours ondulants,
Le bateau trace un vert sillon.

Près de la barre le second-maître est étendu
Sur le ventre et ronfle doucement.
Près du mât, ravaudant une voile,
Le mousse plein de goudron est accroupi.

Sous la saleté ses joues
Rouges brillent, il y a un frisson nostalgique
Autour de sa large bouche, et de la douleur
Se manifeste dans ses grands et beaux yeux.

Car le capitaine debout devant lui
Fulmine et jure et le blâme : « fripon !
Fripon ! tu m'as volé
Un hareng dans le baril ! »

Mer calme ! De la vague
Émerge un petit poisson malin,
Il réchauffe sa tête au soleil,
Et agite gaiment sa petite queue.

Mais venant des airs la mouette
Pique sur le petit poisson,
Et vivement, sa proie dans le bec,
S'en retourne là-haut dans l'azur.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2009 by Pierre Mathé, (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 Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), "Meeresstille", appears in Buch der Lieder, in Die Nordsee, in Erster Zyklus, no. 9
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2009-10-29
Line count: 24
Word count: 146

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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