Text & Translation
Die Gebüsche
German source:
Friedrich von Schlegel
Die Luft durch dunkle Auen,
Und nur der Himmel lächelt
Aus tausend hellen Augen.
Es regt nur eine Seele
Sich in des Meeres Brausen,
Und in den leisen Worten,
Die durch die Blätter rauschen.
So tönt in Welle Welle,
Wo Geister heimlich trauren;
So folgen Worte Worten,
Wo Geister Leben hauchen.
Durch alle Töne tönet
Im bunten Erdentraume,
Ein leiser Ton gezogen,
Für den, der heimlich lauschet.
The bushes
English translation ©
Richard Wigmore
through dark meadows,
and only the heavens smile
from a thousand bright eyes.
Only one soul stirs
amid the roaring ocean,
and in the soft words
that whisper through the leaves.
Thus wave echoes wave
where spirits secretly mourn;
thus words follow words
where spirits breathe life.
Through all the sounds
in the earth’s many-coloured dream,
one faint sound echoes
for him who secretly listens.
Die Gebüsche
German source:
Friedrich von Schlegel
The bushes
English source:
Richard Wigmore
Es wehet kühl und leise
The breeze blows cool and soft
Die Luft durch dunkle Auen,
through dark meadows,
Und nur der Himmel lächelt
and only the heavens smile
Aus tausend hellen Augen.
from a thousand bright eyes.
Es regt nur eine Seele
Only one soul stirs
Sich in des Meeres Brausen,
amid the roaring ocean,
Und in den leisen Worten,
and in the soft words
Die durch die Blätter rauschen.
that whisper through the leaves.
So tönt in Welle Welle,
Thus wave echoes wave
Wo Geister heimlich trauren;
where spirits secretly mourn;
So folgen Worte Worten,
thus words follow words
Wo Geister Leben hauchen.
where spirits breathe life.
Durch alle Töne tönet
Through all the sounds
Im bunten Erdentraume,
in the earth’s many-coloured dream,
Ein leiser Ton gezogen,
one faint sound echoes
Für den, der heimlich lauschet.
for him who secretly listens.
Composer
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an late Classical and early Romantic composer. He produced a vast oeuvre during his short life, composing more the 600 vocal works (largely Lieder), and well as several symphonies, operas, and a large body of piano music. He…
Poet
Friedrich von Schlegel
Karl Wilhelm Friedrich (after 1814: von) Schlegel was a German poet, literary critic, philosopher, philologist and indologist. With his older brother, August Wilhelm Schlegel, he was one of the main figures of the Jena romantics. He was a zealous…