Songs

Der Wanderer in der Sägemühle

by Clara Schumann

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Text & Translation

Der Wanderer in der Sägemühle
German source: Justinus Kerner

Dort unten in der Mühle
Saß ich in guter Ruh
Und sah dem Räderspiele
Und sah dem Wasser zu.

Sah zu der blanken Säge,
Es war mir wie ein Traum,
Die bahnte lange Wege
In einen Tannenbaum.

Die Tanne war mir lebend,
In Trauermelodie,
Durch alle Fasern bebend
Sang diese Worte sie:

Du trittst zur rechten Stunde,
O Wanderer, hier ein,
Du bist’s, für den die Wunde
Mir dringt ins Herz hinein.

Du bist’s, für den wird werden,
Wenn kurz gewandert du,
Dies Holz im Schoß der Erden,
Ein Schrein zur langen Ruh.

Vier Bretter sah ich fallen,
Mir ward um’s Herze schwer,
Ein Wörtlein wollt’ ich lallen,
Da ging das Rad nicht mehr.

The wayfarer in the sawmill
English translation © Richard Stokes

Down there in the mill
I was sitting at my ease
Looking at the wheels go round,
Looking at the water.

I looked at the gleaming saw –
I thought it was a dream –
Which was cutting deep
Into a fir tree.

The fir seemed almost alive,
Singing its sad lament;
Quivering in every fibre,
It sang these words:

You have come, O wayfarer,
At the right moment,
You are the one for whom
I bear this wound in my heart!

You are the one for whom,
When your short journey is over,
This wood will serve as a shrine
For your long rest in the earth’s womb.

I saw four planks falling,
My heart grew heavy,
I was about to speak a word –
But the wheel had stopped turning.


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

Der Wanderer in der Sägemühle
German source: Justinus Kerner

The wayfarer in the sawmill
English source: Richard Stokes

Dort unten in der Mühle
Down there in the mill
Saß ich in guter Ruh
I was sitting at my ease
Und sah dem Räderspiele
Looking at the wheels go round,
Und sah dem Wasser zu.
Looking at the water.

Sah zu der blanken Säge,
I looked at the gleaming saw –
Es war mir wie ein Traum,
I thought it was a dream –
Die bahnte lange Wege
Which was cutting deep
In einen Tannenbaum.
Into a fir tree.

Die Tanne war mir lebend,
The fir seemed almost alive,
In Trauermelodie,
Singing its sad lament;
Durch alle Fasern bebend
Quivering in every fibre,
Sang diese Worte sie:
It sang these words:

Du trittst zur rechten Stunde,
You have come, O wayfarer,
O Wanderer, hier ein,
At the right moment,
Du bist’s, für den die Wunde
You are the one for whom
Mir dringt ins Herz hinein.
I bear this wound in my heart!

Du bist’s, für den wird werden,
You are the one for whom,
Wenn kurz gewandert du,
When your short journey is over,
Dies Holz im Schoß der Erden,
This wood will serve as a shrine
Ein Schrein zur langen Ruh.
For your long rest in the earth’s womb.

Vier Bretter sah ich fallen,
I saw four planks falling,
Mir ward um’s Herze schwer,
My heart grew heavy,
Ein Wörtlein wollt’ ich lallen,
I was about to speak a word –
Da ging das Rad nicht mehr.
But the wheel had stopped turning.

Composer

Clara Schumann

Clara Schumann (1819-96) née Wieck is one of the most significant women in musical history. Apart from being a tremendously successful pianist and pedagogue, she wrote numerous songs alongside other works in various genres. She also transformed the…

Poet

Justinus Kerner

Justinus Andreas Christian Kerner was a German poet, practicing physician, and medical writer. He was born at Ludwigsburg in Württemberg. After attending the classical schools of Ludwigsburg and Maulbronn, he was apprenticed in a cloth factory,…

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