Songs

Der Genesene an die Hoffnung

by Hugo Wolf From Mörike-Lieder

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This song was recorded live at the Oxford Lieder Festival as part of Hugo Wolf: The Complete Songs on Stone Records.
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Text & Translation

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Der Genesene an die Hoffnung
German source: Eduard Mörike

Tödlich graute mir der Morgen:
Doch schon lag mein Haupt, wie süss!
Hoffnung, dir im Schoss verborgen,
Bis der Sieg gewonnen hiess.
Opfer bracht ich allen Göttern,
Doch vergessen warest du;
Seitwärts von den ewgen Rettern
Sahest du dem Feste zu.

O vergib, du Vielgetreue!
Tritt aus deinem Dämmerlicht,
Dass ich dir ins ewig neue,
Mondenhelle Angesicht
Einmal schaue, recht von Herzen,
Wie ein Kind und sonder Harm;
Ach, nur einmal ohne Schmerzen
Schliesse mich in deinen Arm!

He who has recovered addresses hope
English translation © Richard Stokes

Day dawned deathly grey:
Yet my head lay, how sweetly!
O Hope, hidden in your lap,
Till victory was reckoned won.
I had made sacrifices to all the gods,
But you I had forgotten;
Aside from the eternal saviours
You gazed on at the feast.

Oh forgive, most true one!
Step forth from your twilight
That I, just once, might gaze
From my very heart
At your eternally new and moonbright face,
Like a child and without sorrow;
Ah, just once, without pain,
Enfold me in your arms!

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

Der Genesene an die Hoffnung
German source: Eduard Mörike

He who has recovered addresses hope
English source: Richard Stokes

Tödlich graute mir der Morgen:
Day dawned deathly grey:
Doch schon lag mein Haupt, wie süss!
Yet my head lay, how sweetly!
Hoffnung, dir im Schoss verborgen,
O Hope, hidden in your lap,
Bis der Sieg gewonnen hiess.
Till victory was reckoned won.
Opfer bracht ich allen Göttern,
I had made sacrifices to all the gods,
Doch vergessen warest du;
But you I had forgotten;
Seitwärts von den ewgen Rettern
Aside from the eternal saviours
Sahest du dem Feste zu.
You gazed on at the feast.

O vergib, du Vielgetreue!
Oh forgive, most true one!
Tritt aus deinem Dämmerlicht,
Step forth from your twilight
Dass ich dir ins ewig neue,
That I, just once, might gaze
Mondenhelle Angesicht
From my very heart
Einmal schaue, recht von Herzen,
At your eternally new and moonbright face,
Wie ein Kind und sonder Harm;
Like a child and without sorrow;
Ach, nur einmal ohne Schmerzen
Ah, just once, without pain,
Schliesse mich in deinen Arm!
Enfold me in your arms!

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

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