Songs

Anfangs wollt ich fast verzagen

by Maude Valérie White

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Text & Translation

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Anfangs wollt ich fast verzagen
German source: Heinrich Heine

Anfangs wollt’ ich fast verzagen,
Und ich glaubt’, ich trüg’ es nie;
Und ich hab’ es doch getragen—
Aber fragt mich nur nicht, wie?

At first I almost despaired
English translation © Richard Stokes

At first I almost despaired,
And I thought I could never be able to bear it;
Yet even so, I have borne it—
But do not ask me how.

Anfangs wollt ich fast verzagen
German source: Heinrich Heine

At first I almost despaired
English source: Richard Stokes

Anfangs wollt’ ich fast verzagen,
At first I almost despaired,
Und ich glaubt’, ich trüg’ es nie;
And I thought I could never be able to bear it;
Und ich hab’ es doch getragen—
Yet even so, I have borne it—
Aber fragt mich nur nicht, wie?
But do not ask me how.

Composer

Maude Valérie White

In 1903, respected critic J. A. Fuller Maitland declared Maude Valérie White’s songs to be ‘known and loved everywhere the English language is spoken’. Passionate and emotionally ‘unashamed’, White developed a distinctive musical voice, especially…

Poet

Heinrich Heine

Heine was born of Jewish parents. Much of his early life was influenced by the financial power of his uncle Salomon Heine, a millionaire Hamburg banker, with whom he remained on an awkward footing for many years. After he had been educated in the…

Performances

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