Songs
Alte Laute
by Robert Schumann From Zwölf Gedichte von Justinus Kerner (1840) Op. 35 20–25.xi & 6–29.xii.1840
Alte Laute
German source:
Justinus Kerner
Siehst du den Blütenbaum?
Herz! kann dich das nicht bringen
Aus deinem bangen Traum?
Was hör’ ich? alte Laute
Wehmüt’ger Jünglingsbrust,
Der Zeit, als ich vertraute
Der Welt und ihrer Lust.
Die Tage sind vergangen,
Mich heilt kein Kraut der Flur;
Und aus dem Traum, dem bangen,
Weckt mich ein Engel nur.
Sounds from the past
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Do you see the blossoming tree?
Heart, can that not bring you
Out of your fearful dream?
What do I hear? Old sounds
Of a melancholy youthful breast,
From that time when I trusted
The world and its joy.
Those days have gone,
No meadow herb will heal me;
And from the fearful dream,
Only an angel will wake me.
Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Alte Laute
German source:
Justinus Kerner
Sounds from the past
English source:
Richard Stokes
Hörst du den Vogel singen?
Do you hear the bird singing?
Siehst du den Blütenbaum?
Do you see the blossoming tree?
Herz! kann dich das nicht bringen
Heart, can that not bring you
Aus deinem bangen Traum?
Out of your fearful dream?
Was hör’ ich? alte Laute
What do I hear? Old sounds
Wehmüt’ger Jünglingsbrust,
Of a melancholy youthful breast,
Der Zeit, als ich vertraute
From that time when I trusted
Der Welt und ihrer Lust.
The world and its joy.
Die Tage sind vergangen,
Those days have gone,
Mich heilt kein Kraut der Flur;
No meadow herb will heal me;
Und aus dem Traum, dem bangen,
And from the fearful dream,
Weckt mich ein Engel nur.
Only an angel will wake me.
Composer
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann was a German composer and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career as a virtuoso pianist. He had been assured…
Poet
Justinus Kerner
Justinus Andreas Christian Kerner was a German poet, practicing physician, and medical writer. He was born at Ludwigsburg in Württemberg. After attending the classical schools of Ludwigsburg and Maulbronn, he was apprenticed in a cloth factory,…