Le vieux chanteur | Ta harpe s'est tue trop longtemps

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by Ricarda Octavia Huch (1864 - 1947)

Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Der alte Sänger

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Deine Harfe schwieg zu lange,
Blinder Alter. Laß sie tönen!
Stimm uns heiter mit Gesange.
Streng ist unsre Zeit.
Sing von deinen goldnen Tagen,
Voll von Spiel und von Behagen,
Die nun weit,
Die du zirptest spröden Schönen,
Liebesklagen,
Die wie Frühlingsträume gleiten,
Die zum Tanze leicht sich schürzen.
"Weh euch, weh, wenn ich sie wecke,
Meine Löwen, meine Saiten,
Stumm im staubigen Verstecke,
Wo sie kaum noch beben, gleißen,
Schwer von starrem Blut!
Weh, wenn sie sich auf euch stürzen,
Sprühend die verhaltne Glut,
Törichte Herzen, und euch zerreißen!"

Text Authorship:

by Ricarda Octavia Huch (1864 - 1947), "Der alte Sänger" [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 Hermann Reutter (1900 - 1985), "Der alte Sänger", 1971 [voice and piano], from 9 Lieder, no. 2. [
text verified 1 time
]

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

ENG English (John Glenn Paton) , title 1: "The old singer", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , title 1: "Le vieux chanteur", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: John Glenn Paton [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2009-07-20
Line count: 19
Word count: 90

Le vieux chanteur

Language: French (Français) after the German (Deutsch)

Ta harpe s'est tue trop longtemps,
Vieil homme aveugle. Laisse-la chanter !
Accorde-nous la gaité de tes chants.
Notre temps est rude.
Chante tes jours dorés
Emplis de jeux et de plaisir,
Qui maintenant sont loin,
Quand tu chantais à d'austères beautés
Des élégies amoureuses,
Celles qui planent comme des rêves printaniers,
Celles qui incitent facilement à danser.
« Malheur à vous, malheur, si je les réveille
Mes lions, mes cordes,
Muettes dans une cachette poussiéreuse
Où elles peuvent à peine vibrer, étinceler,
Lourdes d'un sang figé !
Malheur, si elles se jettent sur vous,
Rayonnant une ardeur retenue,
Cœurs déments, et vous déchirent ! »

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2011 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 Ricarda Octavia Huch (1864 - 1947), "Der alte Sänger"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2011-01-06
Line count: 19
Word count: 103