Songs

Dass doch gemalt all deine Reize wären

by Hugo Wolf From Italienisches Liederbuch

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Text & Translation

View IPA

Dass doch gemalt all deine Reize wären
German source: Paul Heyse

Dass doch gemalt all deine Reize wären,
Und dann der Heidenfürst das Bildnis fände.
Er würde dir ein gross Geschenk verehren,
Und legte seine Kron’ in deine Hände.
Zum rechten Glauben müsst’ sich bekehren
Sein ganzes Reich, bis an sein fernstes Ende.
Im ganzen Lande würd’ es ausgeschrieben,
Christ soll ein jeder werden und dich lieben.
Ein jeder Heide flugs bekehrte sich
Und würd’ ein guter Christ und liebte dich.

If only all your charms had been painted
English translation © Richard Stokes

If only all your charms had been painted,
And the prince of heathens then found the picture!
He would honour you with a great gift
And place his crown into your hands.
His entire kingdom, to its farthest corner,
Would be converted to the true faith.
An edict would be published throughout the land
That everyone must turn Christian and love you.
Every heathen would be converted at once
And become a good Christian and love you.

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

Dass doch gemalt all deine Reize wären
German source: Paul Heyse

If only all your charms had been painted
English source: Richard Stokes

Dass doch gemalt all deine Reize wären,
If only all your charms had been painted,
Und dann der Heidenfürst das Bildnis fände.
And the prince of heathens then found the picture!
Er würde dir ein gross Geschenk verehren,
He would honour you with a great gift
Und legte seine Kron’ in deine Hände.
And place his crown into your hands.
Zum rechten Glauben müsst’ sich bekehren
His entire kingdom, to its farthest corner,
Sein ganzes Reich, bis an sein fernstes Ende.
Would be converted to the true faith.
Im ganzen Lande würd’ es ausgeschrieben,
An edict would be published throughout the land
Christ soll ein jeder werden und dich lieben.
That everyone must turn Christian and love you.
Ein jeder Heide flugs bekehrte sich
Every heathen would be converted at once
Und würd’ ein guter Christ und liebte dich.
And become a good Christian and love you.

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

Paul Heyse

Paul Johann Ludwig von Heyse was a distinguished German writer and translator. A member of two important literary societies, the Tunnel über der Spree in Berlin and Die Krokodile in Munich, he wrote novels, poetry, 177 short stories, and about sixty…

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