Songs

Begegnung

by Hugo Wolf From Mörike-Lieder

If you would like to use our texts and translations, please click here for more information.

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

View IPA

Begegnung
German source: Eduard Mörike

Was doch heut nacht ein Sturm gewesen,
Bis erst der Morgen sich geregt!
Wie hat der ungebetne Besen
Kamin und Gassen ausgefegt!

Da kommt ein Mädchen schon die Strassen,
Das halb verschüchtert um sich sieht;
Wie Rosen, die der Wind zerblasen,
So unstet ihr Gesichtchen glüht.

Ein schöner Bursch tritt ihr entgegen,
Er will ihr voll Entzücken nahn:
Wie sehn sich freudig und verlegen
Die ungewohnten Schelme an!

Er scheint zu fragen, ob das Liebchen
Die Zöpfe schon zurecht gemacht,
Die heute nacht im offnen Stübchen
Ein Sturm in Unordnung gebracht.

Der Bursche träumt noch von den Küssen,
Die ihm das süsse Kind getauscht,
Er steht, von Anmut hingerissen,
Derweil sie um die Ecke rauscht.

Encounter
English translation © Richard Stokes

What a storm there was last night,
It raged until this morning dawned!
How that uninvited broom
Swept the streets and chimneys clean!

Here comes a girl along the street,
Glancing half bashfully about her;
Like roses the wind has scattered,
Her pretty face keeps changing colour.

A handsome lad steps up to meet her,
Approaches her full of bliss,
How joyfully and awkwardly
Those novice rascals exchange looks!

He seems to ask if his sweetheart
Has tidied up her plaited locks,
That last night a storm dishevelled
In her gaping wide room.

The lad’s still dreaming of the kisses
The sweet child exchanged with him,
He stands enraptured by her charm,
As she whisks round the corner.

Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)

Begegnung
German source: Eduard Mörike

Encounter
English source: Richard Stokes

Was doch heut nacht ein Sturm gewesen,
What a storm there was last night,
Bis erst der Morgen sich geregt!
It raged until this morning dawned!
Wie hat der ungebetne Besen
How that uninvited broom
Kamin und Gassen ausgefegt!
Swept the streets and chimneys clean!

Da kommt ein Mädchen schon die Strassen,
Here comes a girl along the street,
Das halb verschüchtert um sich sieht;
Glancing half bashfully about her;
Wie Rosen, die der Wind zerblasen,
Like roses the wind has scattered,
So unstet ihr Gesichtchen glüht.
Her pretty face keeps changing colour.

Ein schöner Bursch tritt ihr entgegen,
A handsome lad steps up to meet her,
Er will ihr voll Entzücken nahn:
Approaches her full of bliss,
Wie sehn sich freudig und verlegen
How joyfully and awkwardly
Die ungewohnten Schelme an!
Those novice rascals exchange looks!

Er scheint zu fragen, ob das Liebchen
He seems to ask if his sweetheart
Die Zöpfe schon zurecht gemacht,
Has tidied up her plaited locks,
Die heute nacht im offnen Stübchen
That last night a storm dishevelled
Ein Sturm in Unordnung gebracht.
In her gaping wide room.

Der Bursche träumt noch von den Küssen,
The lad’s still dreaming of the kisses
Die ihm das süsse Kind getauscht,
The sweet child exchanged with him,
Er steht, von Anmut hingerissen,
He stands enraptured by her charm,
Derweil sie um die Ecke rauscht.
As she whisks round the corner.

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

Eduard Mörike

Eduard Friedrich Mörike was a German Romantic poet. Mörike was born in Ludwigsburg. His father was Karl Friedrich Mörike (d. 1817), a district medical councilor; his mother was Charlotte Bayer. He attended the Latin school at Ludwigsburg, and the…

Help us with a Donation

Enjoying our texts and translations? Help us continue to offer this service to all.

Make a Donation

Select Tickets