Dein Schwerdt, wie ists [von]1 Blut so roth?
     [Edward, Edward]2!
Dein Schwerdt, wie ists [von]1 Blut so roth
     Und gehst so traurig da! - O!
Ich hab geschlagen meinen Geyer todt
     Mutter, Mutter!
Ich hab geschlagen meinen Geyer todt,
     Und das, das geht mir nah! - O!

[Dein's]3 Geyers Blut ist nicht so roth!
     Edward, Edward!
[Dein's]3 Geyers Blut ist nicht so roth,
     Mein Sohn, bekenn mir frey! - O!
Ich hab geschlagen mein Rothroß todt!
     Mutter, Mutter!
Ich hab geschlagen mein Rotroß todt!
     [Und's]4 war so stolz und treu! O!

Dein Roß war alt und hasts nicht noth!
     Edward, Edward,
Dein Roß war alt und hasts nicht noth,
     Dich drückt ein [ander]5 Schmerz. O!
Ich hab geschlagen meinen Vater todt,
     Mutter, Mutter!
Ich hab geschlagen meinen Vater todt,
     Und das, das quält mein Herz! O!

Und was wirst du nun an dir thun?
     Edward, Edward!
Und was wirst du nun an dir thun?
     Mein Sohn, [bekenn mir mehr]6! O!
Auf Erden soll mein Fuß nicht ruhn!
     Mutter, Mutter!
Auf Erden soll mein Fuß nicht ruhn!
     Will wandern [über]7 Meer! O!

Und was soll werden dein Hof und Hall,
     Edward, Edward,
Und was soll werden dein Hof und Hall,
     So herrlich [sonst und]8 schön! O!
Ach! immer stehs und sink' und fall,
     Mutter, Mutter!
Ach immer stehs und sink' und fall,
     [Ich werd es nimmer]9 sehn! O!

Und was soll werden [dein]10 Weib und Kind,
     Edward, Edward?
Und was soll werden [dein]10 Weib und Kind,
     [Wann]11 du gehst [über]7 Meer - O!
Die Welt ist groß! laß sie betteln drinn,
     Mutter, Mutter!
Die Welt ist groß! laß sie betteln drinn,
     Ich seh sie nimmermehr! - O!

Und was soll deine Mutter thun?
     Edward, Edward!
Und was soll deine Mutter thun?
     Mein Sohn, das sage mir! O!
Der Fluch der Hölle soll auf Euch ruhn,
     Mutter, Mutter!
Der Fluch der Hölle soll auf Euch ruhn,
     Denn ihr, ihr [riethets]12 mir! O.

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View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Johann Gottfried Herder's Von Deutscher Art und Kunst. Einige fliegende Blätter. Hamburg, 1773. Bey Bode, pages 25-27.

Note: This is the first version of Herder's translation of the old Scottish ballad Edward, Edward which he found in Thomas Percy's Reliques of Ancient English Poetry. A later, somewhat different translation has been published by Herder in his Volkslieder in 1779.

¹ Schubert (Neue Gesamtausgabe): "vom"
² Schubert: "Eduard, Eduard", passim
³ Loewe, Schubert: "Deines"
⁴ Schubert (Neue Gesamtausgabe): "Und es"
⁵ Loewe, Schubert: "andrer"
⁶ Loewe, and Schubert (1862 edition only): "das sage mir"
⁷ Loewe, Schubert (Alte Gesamtausgabe): "übers"
⁸ Loewe: "sonst, so"
⁹ Schubert (Alte Gesamtausgabe only), and Herder (1779 edition): "Mag nie es wieder"
¹⁰ Loewe: "aus"
¹¹ Schubert: "Wenn"
¹² Schubert (Neue Gesamtausgabe): "rietet es"

Note: Schubert's setting exists in three versions. Version 3 is phrased as a duet (in the last stanza). In addition, it substitutes "weh!" for each "O!", and replaces "Geyer" by "Falke" in stanzas 1 and 2.

Authorship:

• by Johann Gottfried Herder (1744 - 1803), no title, first published 1773 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]

Based on:

• a text in Scottish (Scots) by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist, "Edward, Edward", subtitle: "A Scottish Ballad", first published 1765
  • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

• by Arnold Krug (1849 - 1904), "Edward", subtitle: "Schottische Ballade", op. 7 (Fünf Gesänge für gemischten Chor) no. 1, published 1875 [ mixed chorus ], Leipzig, Forberg [sung text not yet checked]
• by Josef Labor (1842 - 1924), "Edward" [sung text not yet checked]
• by Carl Loewe (1796 - 1869), "Edward", op. 1 no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Eine altschottische Ballade", op. posth. 165 (Fünf Lieder) no. 5, D 923 (1827), published 1862 [ voice, piano ], C. A. Spina, Wien [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Karl Sigmund Freiherr von Seckendorff (1744 - 1785), "Edward", published 1779 [ voice and piano ], from Volks- und andere Lieder, mit Begleitung des Forte piano, Zweyte Sammlung, no. 9, Weimar: Bey Karl Ludolf Hoffmann [sung text not yet checked]
• by Josef Antonín Štěpán (1726 - 1797), "Edward und seine Mutter", published 1778-9 [sung text not yet checked]

Set in a modified version by Johannes Brahms, Catharinus Elling, Adolf Jensen.

• Go to the text. [ view differences ] HUN RUS SCO
  

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Una antiga balada escocesa", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Een oude Schotse ballade", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Kelly Dean Hansen) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Une ballade écossaise", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this text: Richard Morris , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-08
Line count: 56
Word count: 320

"Why does your sword drip with such blood,
Edward, Edward?
Why does your sword drip with such blood
And why do you go so sadly there, O?"
"O, I have killed my hawk so good, 
Mother, Mother;
O, I have killed my hawk so good, 
And I had no more but he, O!"

"Your hawk's blood was never so red,
Edward, Edward!
Your hawk's blood was never so red,
My dear son, I tell you, O!"
"O, I have killed my red-roan steed,
Mother, Mother;
O, I have killed my red-roan steed,
That was once so fair and free, O!"

"Your steed was old, and you have got more,
Edward, Edward!
Your steed was old, and you have got more,
Some other thing troubles you, O!"
"O, I have slain my father dear,
Mother, Mother;
O, I have slain my father dear,
Alas and woe is me, O!"

"And what penance will you do for that,
Edward, Edward?
And what penance will you do for that,
My dear son, now tell me, O!"
"I'll set my feet in yonder boat,
Mother, Mother;
I'll set my feet in yonder boat,
And I'll go over the sea, O."

"And what will you do with your towers and your house,
Edward, Edward?
And what will you do with your towers and your house
That were so fair to see, O?"
"I'll let them stand till they fall down,
Mother, Mother;
I'll let them stand till they fall down,
For here never more may I be, O."

"And what will you leave to your children and wife,
Edward, Edward?
And what will you leave to your children and wife,
When you go over the sea, O?"
"The world has room, let them beg through life,
Mother, Mother;
The world has room, let them beg through life,
For them never more will I see, O."

"And what will you leave to your mother dear,
Edward, Edward?
And what will you leave to your mother dear,
My dear son, now tell me, O!"
"The curse of hell from me shall ye bear,
Mother, Mother;
The curse of hell from me shall ye bear,
For the counsel ye gave to me, O!"