Glückliche Fahrt
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Der Himmel ist helle,
Und Äolus löset
Das ängstliche Band.
Es säuseln die Winde,
Es rührt sich der Schiffer.
Geschwinde! Geschwinde!
Es teilt sich die Welle,
Es naht sich die Ferne,
Schon seh’ ich das Land!
Prosperous voyage
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
The sky is bright,
And Aeolus loosens
The fearful knot.
The winds are blowing,
The sailor’s alert.
Make haste! Make haste!
The waves are parting,
The distance approaches;
I already see land.
Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Glückliche Fahrt
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Prosperous voyage
English source:
Richard Stokes
Die Nebel zerreißen,
The mists disperse,
Der Himmel ist helle,
The sky is bright,
Und Äolus löset
And Aeolus loosens
Das ängstliche Band.
The fearful knot.
Es säuseln die Winde,
The winds are blowing,
Es rührt sich der Schiffer.
The sailor’s alert.
Geschwinde! Geschwinde!
Make haste! Make haste!
Es teilt sich die Welle,
The waves are parting,
Es naht sich die Ferne,
The distance approaches;
Schon seh’ ich das Land!
I already see land.
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…