Frühlingsfeier
German source:
Heinrich Heine
Die blühenden Mädchen, die wilde Schar,
Sie stürmen dahin mit flatterndem Haar
Und Jammergeheul und entblößter Brust:
‘Adonis! Adonis!’
Es sinkt die Nacht bei Fackelschein
Sie suchen hin und her im Wald,
Der angstverwirret widerhallt
Vom Weinen und Lachen und Schluchzen und Schreien:
‘Adonis! Adonis!’
Das wunderschöne Jünglingsbild,
Es liegt am Boden blaß und tot,
Das Blut färbt alle Blumen rot,
Und Klagelaut die Luft erfüllt,
‘Adonis! Adonis!’
Rite of Spring
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
The blossoming maidens, the wild throng,
Rush with streaming hair
And anguished cries and bared breasts:
‘Adonis! Adonis!’
Night falls. By the light of their torches
They seek here and there in the wood,
Which, with confused terror, echoes with weeping
And laughter and sobbing and screaming:
'Adonis! Adonis!'
The wondrously handsome youth
Lies pale and dead on the ground,
The blood stains all the flowers red,
And plaintive sounds fill the air:
‘Adonis! Adonis!’
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Frühlingsfeier
German source:
Heinrich Heine
Rite of Spring
English source:
Richard Stokes
Das ist des Frühlings traurige Lust!
This is the sorrowful joy of Spring!
Die blühenden Mädchen, die wilde Schar,
The blossoming maidens, the wild throng,
Sie stürmen dahin mit flatterndem Haar
Rush with streaming hair
Und Jammergeheul und entblößter Brust:
And anguished cries and bared breasts:
‘Adonis! Adonis!’
‘Adonis! Adonis!’
Es sinkt die Nacht bei Fackelschein
Night falls. By the light of their torches
Sie suchen hin und her im Wald,
They seek here and there in the wood,
Der angstverwirret widerhallt
Which, with confused terror, echoes with weeping
Vom Weinen und Lachen und Schluchzen und Schreien:
And laughter and sobbing and screaming:
‘Adonis! Adonis!’
'Adonis! Adonis!'
Das wunderschöne Jünglingsbild,
The wondrously handsome youth
Es liegt am Boden blaß und tot,
Lies pale and dead on the ground,
Das Blut färbt alle Blumen rot,
The blood stains all the flowers red,
Und Klagelaut die Luft erfüllt,
And plaintive sounds fill the air:
‘Adonis! Adonis!’
‘Adonis! Adonis!’
Composer
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is particularly well-known for his operas, Lieder, and tone poems. Read more here.
Poet
Heinrich Heine
Heine was born of Jewish parents. Much of his early life was influenced by the financial power of his uncle Salomon Heine, a millionaire Hamburg banker, with whom he remained on an awkward footing for many years. After he had been educated in the…