Songs

Das Waldschloß

by Felix Mendelssohn

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Text & Translation

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Das Waldschloß (1841)
German source: Joseph von Eichendorff

Wo noch kein Wand’rer gegangen,
Hoch über Jäger und Ross
Die Felsen abendrot hangen,
Als wie ein Wolkenschloss.

Dort, zwischen Zinnen und Spitzen,
Von wilden Nelken umblüht,
Die schönen Waldfrauen sitzen
Und singen im Wind ihr Lied.

Der Jäger schaut nach dem Schlosse:
„Die droben, das ist mein Lieb!“
Er sprang vom schäumenden Rosse,
Weiss keiner, wo er blieb.

The forest castle
English translation © Richard Stokes

Where no wanderer has ever been,
High above huntsman and horse,
Where the cliffs at sunset
Look like a castle of cloud—

There, between battlements and spires,
Surrounded by carnations in bloom,
The lovely forest women sit,
Singing their songs in the wind.

The hunter looks at the castle:
That’s my sweetheart up there!—
He leapt from his foaming horse,
No one knows where he went.

Das Waldschloß (1841)
German source: Joseph von Eichendorff

The forest castle
English source: Richard Stokes

Wo noch kein Wand’rer gegangen,
Where no wanderer has ever been,
Hoch über Jäger und Ross
High above huntsman and horse,
Die Felsen abendrot hangen,
Where the cliffs at sunset
Als wie ein Wolkenschloss.
Look like a castle of cloud—

Dort, zwischen Zinnen und Spitzen,
There, between battlements and spires,
Von wilden Nelken umblüht,
Surrounded by carnations in bloom,
Die schönen Waldfrauen sitzen
The lovely forest women sit,
Und singen im Wind ihr Lied.
Singing their songs in the wind.

Der Jäger schaut nach dem Schlosse:
The hunter looks at the castle:
„Die droben, das ist mein Lieb!“
That’s my sweetheart up there!—
Er sprang vom schäumenden Rosse,
He leapt from his foaming horse,
Weiss keiner, wo er blieb.
No one knows where he went.

Composer

Felix Mendelssohn

Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 1809 – 4 November 1847), brother of Fanny Mendelssohn and grandson of Haskalah and Enlightenment philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early…

Poet

Joseph von Eichendorff

Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff was a German poet, novelist, playwright, literary critic, translator, and anthologist. Eichendorff was one of the major writers and critics of Romanticism. Ever since their publication and up to the present day, some…

Performances

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