Songs

A legszebb virág

by György Ligeti From Öt Arany-dal (5 Arany Songs) (1952)

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Text & Translation

A legszebb virág
Hungarian source: János Arany

Szép virág a rózsa;
hát még a bimbója!
Mert az ég harmatja
mindennap mosdatja.

Szép virág a szűzlány
ünnepnapra kelve.
De legszebb virág
a haza szent szerelme!

Nem terem az kertbe
a fekete földbül,
Sem a virágágyból
soha ki nem zöldül.

Csak terem az épen
az ember szívében,
Az ember szívének
legislegmélyében.

The most beautiful flower
English translation © Laurie Anne McGowan

A lovely flower is the rose;
and her buds even more so!
For heaven's dew
bathes them each day.

A lovely flower is a maiden,
awakened on festival day.
But the most beautiful flower
is the holy love of the fatherland!

It grows not in the garden
out of black earth,
nor in the flower bed
does it blossom.

It grows hearty only
in the human heart,
in the human heart,
deep, deep within.

A legszebb virág
Hungarian source: János Arany

The most beautiful flower
English source: Laurie Anne McGowan

Szép virág a rózsa;
A lovely flower is the rose;
hát még a bimbója!
and her buds even more so!
Mert az ég harmatja
For heaven's dew
mindennap mosdatja.
bathes them each day.

Szép virág a szűzlány
A lovely flower is a maiden,
ünnepnapra kelve.
awakened on festival day.
De legszebb virág
But the most beautiful flower
a haza szent szerelme!
is the holy love of the fatherland!

Nem terem az kertbe
It grows not in the garden
a fekete földbül,
out of black earth,
Sem a virágágyból
nor in the flower bed
soha ki nem zöldül.
does it blossom.

Csak terem az épen
It grows hearty only
az ember szívében,
in the human heart,
Az ember szívének
in the human heart,
legislegmélyében.
deep, deep within.

Composer

György Ligeti

György Sándor Ligeti was a Hungarian-Austrian composer of contemporary classical music.

Poet

János Arany

János Arany was a Hungarian journalist, writer, poet, and translator. He wrote over 102 ballads, which have been translated into over 50 languages.

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