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It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

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Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Hans Christian Andersen (1805 - 1875)
Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Du fatter ej Bølgernes evige Gang
Language: Danish (Dansk) 
Our translations:  ENG FRE GER
Du fatter ej Bølgernes evige Gang,
Ej Aanden, som svulmer i Tonernes Klang,
Ej Følelsen dybt i Blomstens Duft,
Sollysets Flamme mod Storm og Luft,
De Fugles Kviddren af Længsel og Lyst,
Og tror dog, Du fatter en Digters Bryst?

Der svulmer det mer end i Bølgens Gang,
Der findes jo Kilden til hver en Sang,
Der voxer Blomsten med evig Duft,
Der brænder det uden den kjølende Luft,
Der kjæmpe Aander i Længsel og Lyst,
De kjæmpe mod Døden dybt i hans Bryst!

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Hans Christian Andersen (1805 - 1875), "Du fatter ej Bølgernes evige Gang", written 1830, appears in Enkeltdigte - Tree Smaae-Digte [author's text not yet checked 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 Edvard Grieg (1843 - 1907), "En Digters Bryst", op. 5 no. 2 (1864-1865), published 1865 [ voice and piano ], from Hjertets melodier, no. 2, Copenhagen [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • ENG English (Geoffrey Cooper) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Tu ne comprends pas l'éternel mouvement des flots", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Bertram Kottmann) , "Du fasst nicht der Wogen ewigen Gang", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 84

Tu ne comprends pas l'éternel mouvement des flots
Language: French (Français)  after the Danish (Dansk) 
Tu ne comprends ni l'éternel mouvement des flots
Ni l'esprit qui s'épanouit au son de la musique,
Ni la profonde sensation devant l'odeur des fleurs,
La flamme du soleil, la tempête et l'air
Le gazouillis de  désir et de joie des oiseaux,
Et pourtant tu crois que tu peux comprendre le cœur d'un poète ?

Il enfle plus que le mouvement des flots,
Là se trouve bien la source de toute chanson,
Là pousse la fleur à l'éternel parfum,
Là est un feu sans air rafraîchissant,
Là l'esprit lutte dans le désir et la joie,
Il lutte contre la mort au fond de son cœur !

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Danish (Dansk) to French (Français) copyright © 2012 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 Danish (Dansk) by Hans Christian Andersen (1805 - 1875), "Du fatter ej Bølgernes evige Gang", written 1830, appears in Enkeltdigte - Tree Smaae-Digte
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2013-01-02
Line count: 12
Word count: 104

Gentle Reminder

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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