Die Sennin
German source:
Nikolaus Lenau
Singe deinen Ruf ins Tal,
Dass die frohe Felsensprache
Deinem hellen Ruf erwache.
Horch, o Sennin, wie dein Sang
In die Brust den Bergen drang,
Wie dein Wort die Felsenseelen
Freudig fort und fort erzählen!
Aber einst, wie Alles flieht,
Scheidest du mit deinem Lied,
Wenn dich Liebe fortbewogen,
Oder dich der Tod entzogen.
Und verlassen werden stehn,
Traurig stumm herübersehn
Dort die grauen Felsenzinnen
Und auf deine Lieder sinnen.
The Cowgirl
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Your song into the valley,
That the cliffs wake with joyful speech
At your clear summons.
Listen, girl, how your song
Has pierced the heart of the mountains,
How the souls of the crags joyfully
Keep echoing your words!
But all things pass, and one day
You will depart with your song,
When love has drawn you away
Or death has claimed you.
And the towering grey crags
Will then stand deserted,
Sadly looking down in silence,
Remembering your songs.
Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Die Sennin
German source:
Nikolaus Lenau
The Cowgirl
English source:
Richard Stokes
Schöne Sennin, noch einmal
Lovely cowgirl, sing once more
Singe deinen Ruf ins Tal,
Your song into the valley,
Dass die frohe Felsensprache
That the cliffs wake with joyful speech
Deinem hellen Ruf erwache.
At your clear summons.
Horch, o Sennin, wie dein Sang
Listen, girl, how your song
In die Brust den Bergen drang,
Has pierced the heart of the mountains,
Wie dein Wort die Felsenseelen
How the souls of the crags joyfully
Freudig fort und fort erzählen!
Keep echoing your words!
Aber einst, wie Alles flieht,
But all things pass, and one day
Scheidest du mit deinem Lied,
You will depart with your song,
Wenn dich Liebe fortbewogen,
When love has drawn you away
Oder dich der Tod entzogen.
Or death has claimed you.
Und verlassen werden stehn,
And the towering grey crags
Traurig stumm herübersehn
Will then stand deserted,
Dort die grauen Felsenzinnen
Sadly looking down in silence,
Und auf deine Lieder sinnen.
Remembering your songs.
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
Nikolaus Lenau
Nikolaus Lenau was the nom de plume of Nikolaus Franz Niembsch Edler von Strehlenau, a German-language Austrian poet. He was born at Schadat, now Lenauheim, Romania, then in Hungary. His father, a Habsburg government official, died in 1807 in…