This song was recorded live at the Oxford Lieder Festival as part of Hugo Wolf: The Complete Songs on Stone Records.
Click here to listen to this song with Thomas Hobbs and Sholto Kynoch, or click here to buy the CD from Stone Records.
Auf dem See
(1775)
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Wie ist Natur so hold und gut,
Die mich am Busen hält!
Die Welle wieget unsern Kahn
Im Rudertakt hinauf,
Und Berge, wolkig himmelan,
Begegnen unserm Lauf.
Aug’, mein Aug’, was sinkst du nieder?
Goldne Träume, kommt ihr wieder?
Weg, du Traum! so hold du bist; Hier auch Lieb’ und Leben ist.
Auf der Welle blinken
Tausend schwebende Sterne,
Weiche Nebel trinken
Rings die türmende Ferne;
Morgenwind umflügelt
Die beschattete Bucht,
Und im See bespiegelt Sich die reifende Frucht.
On the lake
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
How sweet and kindly Nature is,
Who holds me to her breast!
The waves cradle our boat
To the rhythm of the oars,
And mountains, soaring skywards in cloud,
Meet us in our path.
Why, my eyes, do you look down?
Golden dreams, will you return?
Away, O dream, however wonderful; Here too is love and life.
Stars in their thousands
Drift and glitter on the waves,
Gentle mists drink in
The towering skyline;
Morning breezes flutter
Round the shaded bay,
And the ripening fruit Is reflected in the lake
Translation © Richard Stokes
Auf dem See
(1775)
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
On the lake
English source:
Richard Stokes
Und frische Nahrung, neues Blut,
And fresh nourishment, new blood –
Wie ist Natur so hold und gut,
How sweet and kindly Nature is,
Die mich am Busen hält!
Who holds me to her breast!
Die Welle wieget unsern Kahn
The waves cradle our boat
Im Rudertakt hinauf,
To the rhythm of the oars,
Und Berge, wolkig himmelan,
And mountains, soaring skywards in cloud,
Begegnen unserm Lauf.
Meet us in our path.
Aug’, mein Aug’, was sinkst du nieder?
Why, my eyes, do you look down?
Goldne Träume, kommt ihr wieder?
Golden dreams, will you return?
Weg, du Traum! so hold du bist; Hier auch Lieb’ und Leben ist.
Away, O dream, however wonderful; Here too is love and life.
Auf der Welle blinken
Stars in their thousands
Tausend schwebende Sterne,
Drift and glitter on the waves,
Weiche Nebel trinken
Gentle mists drink in
Rings die türmende Ferne;
The towering skyline;
Morgenwind umflügelt
Morning breezes flutter
Die beschattete Bucht,
Round the shaded bay,
Und im See bespiegelt Sich die reifende Frucht.
And the ripening fruit Is reflected in the lake
Composer
Hugo Wolf
Hugo Filipp Jakob Wolf was born on 13 March 1860, the fourth of six surviving children, in Windischgraz, Styria, then part of the Austrian Empire. He was taught the piano and violin by his father at an early age and continued to study piano at the…
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…