Songs
Die du Gott gebarst, du Reine
by Hugo Wolf From Spanisches Liederbuch: Geistliche Lieder (1890)
This song was recorded live at the Oxford Lieder Festival as part of Hugo Wolf: The Complete Songs on Stone Records.
Click here to listen to this song with Benjamin Hulet and Sholto Kynoch, or click here to buy the CD from Stone Records.
Die du Gott gebarst, du Reine
German source:
Paul Heyse
Und alleine
Uns gelöst aus unsern Ketten,
Mach mich fröhlich, der ich weine,
Denn nur deine
Huld und Gnade mag uns retten.
Herrin, ganz zu dir mich wende,
Dass sich ende
Diese Qual und dieses Grauen,
Dass der Tod mich furchtlos fände,
Und nicht blende
Mich das Licht der Himmelsauen.
Weil du unbefleckt geboren,
Auserkoren
Zu des ew’gen Ruhmes Stätten
Wie mich Leiden auch um floren,
Unverloren
Bin ich doch, willst du mich retten.
Thou who didst bear God, O pure one,
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
And who alone
Delivered us from our chains,
Make me glad, I who weep,
For only thy
Grace and mercy can save us.
Lady, turn me to thee entirely,
That they might end,
This torment and this dread,
That death might find me unafraid,
And I be not blinded
By the light of the heavenly pastures.
Because thou wert born immaculate,
Chosen
To dwell in eternal glory –
However much sorrow dims my eyes,
I am not lost,
If thou wilt save me.
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Die du Gott gebarst, du Reine
German source:
Paul Heyse
Thou who didst bear God, O pure one,
English source:
Richard Stokes
Die du Gott gebarst, du Reine,
Thou who didst bear God, O pure one,
Und alleine
And who alone
Uns gelöst aus unsern Ketten,
Delivered us from our chains,
Mach mich fröhlich, der ich weine,
Make me glad, I who weep,
Denn nur deine
For only thy
Huld und Gnade mag uns retten.
Grace and mercy can save us.
Herrin, ganz zu dir mich wende,
Lady, turn me to thee entirely,
Dass sich ende
That they might end,
Diese Qual und dieses Grauen,
This torment and this dread,
Dass der Tod mich furchtlos fände,
That death might find me unafraid,
Und nicht blende
And I be not blinded
Mich das Licht der Himmelsauen.
By the light of the heavenly pastures.
Weil du unbefleckt geboren,
Because thou wert born immaculate,
Auserkoren
Chosen
Zu des ew’gen Ruhmes Stätten
To dwell in eternal glory –
Wie mich Leiden auch um floren,
However much sorrow dims my eyes,
Unverloren
I am not lost,
Bin ich doch, willst du mich retten.
If thou wilt save me.
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…