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 Sophie Daneman and Sholto Kynoch, or click here to buy the CD from Stone Records.
Das verlassene Mägdlein
German source:
Eduard Mörike
Eh’ die Sternlein schwinden,
Muss ich am Herde stehn,
Muss Feuer zünden.
Schön ist der Flamme Schein,
Es springen die Funken;
Ich schaue so darein,
In Leid versunken.
Plötzlich, da kommt es mir,
Treuloser Knabe,
Dass ich die Nacht von dir
Geträumet habe.
Träne auf Träne dann
Stürzet hernieder;
So kommt der Tag heran—
O ging’ er wieder!
The forsaken servant-girl
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Before the tiny stars recede,
I must be at the hearth,
I must light the fire.
The flames are beautiful,
The sparks fly;
I gaze at them,
Sunk in sorrow.
Suddenly I realise,
Faithless boy,
That in the night
I dreamt of you.
Tear after tear
Then tumbles down;
So the day dawns –
O would it were gone again!
Das verlassene Mägdlein
German source:
Eduard Mörike
The forsaken servant-girl
English source:
Richard Stokes
Früh, wann die Hähne krähn,
Early, when the cocks crow,
Eh’ die Sternlein schwinden,
Before the tiny stars recede,
Muss ich am Herde stehn,
I must be at the hearth,
Muss Feuer zünden.
I must light the fire.
Schön ist der Flamme Schein,
The flames are beautiful,
Es springen die Funken;
The sparks fly;
Ich schaue so darein,
I gaze at them,
In Leid versunken.
Sunk in sorrow.
Plötzlich, da kommt es mir,
Suddenly I realise,
Treuloser Knabe,
Faithless boy,
Dass ich die Nacht von dir
That in the night
Geträumet habe.
I dreamt of you.
Träne auf Träne dann
Tear after tear
Stürzet hernieder;
Then tumbles down;
So kommt der Tag heran—
So the day dawns –
O ging’ er wieder!
O would it were gone again!
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…
Performances
Previously performed at:
- 11. Elizabeth Watts: Carnival of the Animals 09 Oct 2021
- Felicity Lott / Eugene Asti 04 Mar 2016