Text & Translation
Elfenliedchen
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Dann scheinet uns der Mond,
Dann leuchtet uns der Stern,
Wir wandeln und singen,
Und tanzen erst gern.
Um Mitternacht, wenn die Menschen erst schlafen,
Auf Wiesen an den Erlen
Wir suchen unsern Raum,
Und wandeln und singen
Und tanzen einen Traum.
Song of the Elves
(2019)
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
The moon shines for us,
The star gleams for us,
We wander and sing
And dance to our heart’s content.
At midnight, when humans are sleeping lightly,
On meadows by the alders
We seek out our sphere,
And wander and sing
And dance a dream.
Translations © by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder
Elfenliedchen
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Song of the Elves (2019)
English source:
Richard Stokes
Um Mitternacht, wenn die Menschen erst schlafen,
At midnight, when humans are sleeping lightly,
Dann scheinet uns der Mond,
The moon shines for us,
Dann leuchtet uns der Stern,
The star gleams for us,
Wir wandeln und singen,
We wander and sing
Und tanzen erst gern.
And dance to our heart’s content.
Um Mitternacht, wenn die Menschen erst schlafen,
At midnight, when humans are sleeping lightly,
Auf Wiesen an den Erlen
On meadows by the alders
Wir suchen unsern Raum,
We seek out our sphere,
Und wandeln und singen
And wander and sing
Und tanzen einen Traum.
And dance a dream.
Composer
Nikolai Medtner
Nikolai Karlovich Medtner (5 January 1880 [O.S. 24 December 1879] – 13 November 1951) was a Russian composer and pianist. Although he fell into relative obscurity after his death, he now recognised as one of the most significant Russian composers…
Poet
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang Goethe was a German writer and statesman. His body of work includes epic and lyric poetry written in a variety of metres and styles; prose and verse dramas; memoirs; an autobiography; literary and aesthetic criticism; treatises on…