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 Anna Grevelius and Sholto Kynoch, or click here to buy the CD from Stone Records.
Text & Translation
Begegnung
German source:
Otto Friedrich Gruppe
Komm ich in vollem Lauf,
Die Trepp’ empor gesprungen
Kommt er und fängt mich auf;
Und wo die Trepp’ so dunkel ist,
Haben wir vielmals uns geküßt,
Doch niemand hat’s geseh’n.
Ich komm in den Saal gegangen,
Da wimmelt’s von Gästen bunt,
Wohl glühten mir die Wangen,
Wohl glühte mir auch der Mund:
Ich meint’ es säh mirs jeder an,
Was wir da mit einander getan,—
Doch niemand hat’s geseh’n.
Ich mußte hinaus in den Garten
Und wollte die Blumen sehn,
Ich konnt’ es nicht erwarten
In den Garten hinaus zu gehn.
Da blühten die Rosen überall,
Da sangen die Vögel mit lautem Schall,
Als hätten sie’s geseh’n.
Meeting
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
I come at full speed;
Running upstairs
He takes me in his arms.
And where the stairs are darkest,
We exchanged many kisses,
But not a soul was watching.
I come into the room
That thronged and teemed with guests;
My cheeks were burning,
And my lips were burning too.
I imagined that, looking at me, all would know
What we did there together,
But not a soul was watching.
I had to go out into the garden,
I wanted to look at the flowers,
I simply could not wait
To go out into the garden.
And the roses were blooming everywhere,
The birds were singing full-throatedly,
As if they’d been watching.
Begegnung
German source:
Otto Friedrich Gruppe
Meeting
English source:
Richard Stokes
Die Treppe hinunter gesprungen
Jumping down the stairs
Komm ich in vollem Lauf,
I come at full speed;
Die Trepp’ empor gesprungen
Running upstairs
Kommt er und fängt mich auf;
He takes me in his arms.
Und wo die Trepp’ so dunkel ist,
And where the stairs are darkest,
Haben wir vielmals uns geküßt,
We exchanged many kisses,
Doch niemand hat’s geseh’n.
But not a soul was watching.
Ich komm in den Saal gegangen,
I come into the room
Da wimmelt’s von Gästen bunt,
That thronged and teemed with guests;
Wohl glühten mir die Wangen,
My cheeks were burning,
Wohl glühte mir auch der Mund:
And my lips were burning too.
Ich meint’ es säh mirs jeder an,
I imagined that, looking at me, all would know
Was wir da mit einander getan,—
What we did there together,
Doch niemand hat’s geseh’n.
But not a soul was watching.
Ich mußte hinaus in den Garten
I had to go out into the garden,
Und wollte die Blumen sehn,
I wanted to look at the flowers,
Ich konnt’ es nicht erwarten
I simply could not wait
In den Garten hinaus zu gehn.
To go out into the garden.
Da blühten die Rosen überall,
And the roses were blooming everywhere,
Da sangen die Vögel mit lautem Schall,
The birds were singing full-throatedly,
Als hätten sie’s geseh’n.
As if they’d been watching.
Composer
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is particularly well-known for his operas, Lieder, and tone poems. Read more here.
