Text & Translation
An die Entfernte
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Bist du, o Schöne, mir entflohn?
Noch klingt in den gewohnten Ohren
Ein jedes Wort, ein jeder Ton.
So wie des Wandrers Blick am Morgen
Vergebens in die Lüfte dringt,
Wenn, in dem blauen Raum verborgen,
Hoch über ihm die Lerche singt:
So dringet ängstlich hin und wieder
Durch Feld und Busch und Wald mein Blick;
Dich rufen alle meine Lieder:
„O komm, Geliebte, mir zurück!“
To the distant beloved
English translation ©
Richard Wigmore
Have you fled from me, fairest love?
Every word, every tone
still sounds in my well-accustomed ears.
As in the morning the traveller’s gaze
searches the heavens in vain
when, concealed in the blue firmament,
the lark sings high above him:
So my gaze searches anxiously back and forth
through field, thicket and woodland;
all my songs call out to you:
‘Come back to me, beloved!’
An die Entfernte
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
To the distant beloved
English source:
Richard Wigmore
So hab’ ich wirklich dich verloren?
Have I really lost you?
Bist du, o Schöne, mir entflohn?
Have you fled from me, fairest love?
Noch klingt in den gewohnten Ohren
Every word, every tone
Ein jedes Wort, ein jeder Ton.
still sounds in my well-accustomed ears.
So wie des Wandrers Blick am Morgen
As in the morning the traveller’s gaze
Vergebens in die Lüfte dringt,
searches the heavens in vain
Wenn, in dem blauen Raum verborgen,
when, concealed in the blue firmament,
Hoch über ihm die Lerche singt:
the lark sings high above him:
So dringet ängstlich hin und wieder
So my gaze searches anxiously back and forth
Durch Feld und Busch und Wald mein Blick;
through field, thicket and woodland;
Dich rufen alle meine Lieder:
all my songs call out to you:
„O komm, Geliebte, mir zurück!“
‘Come back to me, beloved!’
Composer
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an late Classical and early Romantic composer. He produced a vast oeuvre during his short life, composing more the 600 vocal works (largely Lieder), and well as several symphonies, operas, and a large body of piano music. He…
Poet
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang Goethe was a German writer and statesman. His body of work includes epic and lyric poetry written in a variety of metres and styles; prose and verse dramas; memoirs; an autobiography; literary and aesthetic criticism; treatises on…