SONG TRANSLATIONS
Ständchen
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
My songs gently plead
Through the night to you
Down into the quiet grove
Sweetheart, come to me!
The slender treetop whisperingly rustle
In the moon light,
The hostile traitors listen
But, fear not
Do you hear the nightingales coo?
Ah! They are begging you
With their tones sweet in complain
They plead to you for me
They understand my heart’s desires
they know the pain of love
they stir with silver tones
each soft heart
Let your heart, too, be moved!
Sweetheart, hear me!
Trembling, I await you!
Come, make me happy!
Gretchen am Spinnrade
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
My peace is gone, My heart is heavy,
I will never find it and never more.
Where I do not have him, that is the grave,
The whole world becomes bitter to me.
My poor head is crazy to me,
my poor mind is torn apart.
My peace is gone, my heart is heavy,
I will never find it and never more.
For him only do I look out the window
Only for him do I go out of the house.
His tall walk, his noble figure,
His mouth's smile, his eyes' power,
And his mouth's magic flows,
His handclaps, and ah! His kiss!
My peace is gone, my heart is heavy,
I will never find it and never more.
My bosom urges itself toward him.
Ah, might I grasp and hold him!
And kiss him back, as I would wish,
On his kisses should I pass away
Nacht und Träume
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Holy night, you sink down
Down floats, the dream as well
How your moon shines through the room
Through the people’s quiet, quiet chests
They listen to you with passion
Call when the day awakens
Turn again, O blessed night!
Gracious dream, come again!
Die Nacht
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Out from the woods, the night steps in
It slips in from behind trees
Gazing around in wide circle
Now, beware!
All the lights of this world
All the flowers and all the colors
She extinguishes and steals the sheaves
From the fields
She takes everything that she can grasp
Takes the silver from the stream
From the copper dome of the cathedral
She takes away the gold.
The bush stands plundered
Draw closer, soul to soul
Ah the night, I fear, will steal
You too from me.
Morgen
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
And tomorrow the sun will shine again
And on the path that I shall take.
It will unite us, happy one.
Once more amidst this same sun-breathing earth.
And to the shore, wide, and with blue waves,
We shall descend slowly and with stillness.
Without words, we shall gaze into each other’s eyes
and the muted silence of happiness will descend upon us.
Nichts
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
You wanted me to say the name of my
Queen in the kingdom of song
You are fools! I know
Her least than all of you.
You ask me about the color of her eyes
You ask me about the sound of her voice
You ask me of her walk, her dance, her posture
Ach, and what do I know of that.
Isn’t the sun the source
Of all life and all light
And what do we know about it,
I, you, and everyone, NOTHING!
Du meines Herzens Krönelein
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
You are the crown of my heart,
You are made of pure gold
When others surround you
You appear lovelier
Others do so gladly shy away
While you are so sweet and quiet
That every heart will have joy in you
Because of your charm, not by your design
Others would seek love and favors
With thousands of lies
You, without deceit of mind and eye
Is esteemed in every way
You are like a forest rose
Who does not know it’s own beauty
Yet to everyone who passes by
You give joy and inspiration.
Ständchen
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Open up, open up!
But silently, my child
So that no one will awake from his slumber!
The brook hardly murmurs,
The breeze does not move
A leaf, in the bushes or hedges
Gently, my love,
So that nothing is stirred.
Gently, with your hand as you lift the handle
With steps as gentle as elves
As they hop over the flowers
Slip out to me in the garden!
And fly to me in the garden
The flowers are asleep
By the rippling brook
And exhale fragrance in their sleep,
Only love is awake
Sit down, here in the shadows growing mysteriously dark
Under the linden trees.
The nightingale above our head
Shall dream of our kisses
And the rose, upon waking at dawn
Shall glow with the night’s rapture
You are the crown of my heart,When others surround you
You appear lovelier
Others do so gladly shy away
While you are so sweet and quiet
That every heart will have joy in you
Because of your charm, not by your design
Others would seek love and favors
With thousands of lies
You, without deceit of mind and eye
Is esteemed in every way
You are like a forest rose
Who does not know it’s own beauty
Yet to everyone who passes by
You give joy and inspiration.
Cinq Mélodies populaires grecques
Chanson de la mariée
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Wake up, wake up, pretty partridge,
Spread your wings in the morning
You three beauty spots set my heart on fire
See this golden ribbon that I bring
To tie around your hair.
If you with, my dear, let us marry!
Make our two families unite.
Cinq Mélodies populaires grecques
Là-bas, vers l’église
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Down there by the church,
The church of Saint Sideros,
The church, O Holy Virgin,
The church of Saint Constantine,
Are gathered together, buried in infinite numbers
The bravest people, O Holy Virgin,
The bravest people in world!
Cinq Mélodies populaires grecques
Quel galant m’est comparable
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
What gallant can compare with me?
Among those who are passing by?
Tell me, Mistress Vassiliki?
Look, hanging at my belt
Pistol and a sharp sword…
And it’s you I love!
Cinq Mélodies populaires grecques
Chanson des cueilleuses de lentisques
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
O joy of my soul,
Joy of my heart
You are a treasure I cherish
Joy of the soul and the heart,
You whom I love so dearly
You are more beautiful than an angel
Before our eyes
Like a lovely, blond angel
Under the bright sun-
Alas, all our poor hearts sigh!
Cinq Mélodies populaires grecques
Tout gai!
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
So merry,
Ah so merry!
Lovely leg, Tireli, that dances
Lovely leg, even the plates dance
Tra la la
Les chemins de l'amore
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
The path leading to the sea
after we passed by there,
The flowers scattering petals
And echoing under the trees
Are our clear laughter
Unfortunately, there are no traces of those happy days anymore.
The shining joy flew away
Will I be able to find it in my heart again?
On the paths of love
I always look for you
Lost way...you're not here anymore
Your sound has already become smaller
Path of despair
Path of our memory
The path on our first day
The path of divine love
If I have to forget someday
Because life erases everything
I want to keep a memento in my heart
stronger than any love
To remember that road
I was shaking and completely lost.
One day, I felt your passionate hands.