Das Geheimnis
German source:
Friedrich von Schiller
Zu viele Lauscher waren wach;
Den Blick nur durft’ ich schüchtern fragen,
Und wohl verstand ich, was er sprach.
Leis’ komm’ ich her in deine Stille,
Du schön belaubtes Buchenzelt,
Verbirg in deiner grünen Hülle
Die Liebenden dem Aug’ der Welt!
Von ferne mit verworr’nem Sausen
Arbeitet der geschäft’ge Tag,
Und durch der Stimmen hohles Brausen
Erkenn’ ich schwerer Hämmer Schlag.
So sauer ringt die kargen Lose
Der Mensch dem harten Himmel ab:
Doch leicht erworben aus dem Schosse
Der Götter fällt das Glück herab.
The Secret
English translation ©
Richard Wigmore
there were too many listening;
I could only shyly question the look in her eyes,
and well understood what it meant.
Softly I approach your silence,
leafy beech grove;
beneath your green cloak
conceal the lovers from the eyes of the world.
Far away, in whirring confusion,
the bustling day is at work,
and through the empty buzz of voices
I discern the beat of heavy hammers.
Thus man toils to wrest his meagre lot
from a cruel heaven.
Yet happiness is easily won,
falling from the lap of the gods.
Das Geheimnis
German source:
Friedrich von Schiller
The Secret
English source:
Richard Wigmore
Sie konnte mir kein Wörtchen sagen,
She could not speak one word to me,
Zu viele Lauscher waren wach;
there were too many listening;
Den Blick nur durft’ ich schüchtern fragen,
I could only shyly question the look in her eyes,
Und wohl verstand ich, was er sprach.
and well understood what it meant.
Leis’ komm’ ich her in deine Stille,
Softly I approach your silence,
Du schön belaubtes Buchenzelt,
leafy beech grove;
Verbirg in deiner grünen Hülle
beneath your green cloak
Die Liebenden dem Aug’ der Welt!
conceal the lovers from the eyes of the world.
Von ferne mit verworr’nem Sausen
Far away, in whirring confusion,
Arbeitet der geschäft’ge Tag,
the bustling day is at work,
Und durch der Stimmen hohles Brausen
and through the empty buzz of voices
Erkenn’ ich schwerer Hämmer Schlag.
I discern the beat of heavy hammers.
So sauer ringt die kargen Lose
Thus man toils to wrest his meagre lot
Der Mensch dem harten Himmel ab:
from a cruel heaven.
Doch leicht erworben aus dem Schosse
Yet happiness is easily won,
Der Götter fällt das Glück herab.
falling from the lap of the gods.
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
Friedrich von Schiller
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller was a German poet, philosopher, physician, historian, and playwright. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller struck up a productive, if complicated, friendship with the already…