Songs
Der arme Peter wankt vorbei
by Robert Schumann From Der arme Peter (1840) Op. 53 no.3 ? autumn 1840
Der arme Peter wankt vorbei
German source:
Heinrich Heine
Gar langsam, leichenblass und scheu.
Es bleiben fast, wie sie ihn sehn,
Die Leute auf den Strassen stehn.
Die Mädchen flüstern sich ins Ohr:
„Der stieg wohl aus dem Grab hervor.“
Ach nein, ihr lieben Jungfräulein,
Der steigt erst in das Grab hinein.
Er hat verloren seinen Schatz,
Drum ist das Grab der beste Platz,
Wo er am besten liegen mag,
Und schlafen bis zum Jüngsten Tag.
Poor Peter totters past
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
So slowly, timid and pale;
Folk in the street almost stop
When they see him passing by.
The girls whisper to each other:
‘He must have risen from his grave.’
Which is not true, my dear young girls,
He’s about to lie in his grave.
He has lost his own true love,
And so the grave is the best place
For him to lie and sleep
Till the Day of Judgement comes.
Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Der arme Peter wankt vorbei
German source:
Heinrich Heine
Poor Peter totters past
English source:
Richard Stokes
Der arme Peter wankt vorbei,
Poor Peter totters past,
Gar langsam, leichenblass und scheu.
So slowly, timid and pale;
Es bleiben fast, wie sie ihn sehn,
Folk in the street almost stop
Die Leute auf den Strassen stehn.
When they see him passing by.
Die Mädchen flüstern sich ins Ohr:
The girls whisper to each other:
„Der stieg wohl aus dem Grab hervor.“
‘He must have risen from his grave.’
Ach nein, ihr lieben Jungfräulein,
Which is not true, my dear young girls,
Der steigt erst in das Grab hinein.
He’s about to lie in his grave.
Er hat verloren seinen Schatz,
He has lost his own true love,
Drum ist das Grab der beste Platz,
And so the grave is the best place
Wo er am besten liegen mag,
For him to lie and sleep
Und schlafen bis zum Jüngsten Tag.
Till the Day of Judgement comes.
Composer
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann was a German composer and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career as a virtuoso pianist. He had been assured…
Poet
Heinrich Heine
Heine was born of Jewish parents. Much of his early life was influenced by the financial power of his uncle Salomon Heine, a millionaire Hamburg banker, with whom he remained on an awkward footing for many years. After he had been educated in the…