Songs

Hör ich das Liedchen klingen (Schumann Dichterliebe No 10)

by Heinrich Heine From Lyrisches Intermezzo (1823) 1822-1823

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Text & Translation

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Hör ich das Liedchen klingen (Schumann Dichterliebe No 10)
German source: Heinrich Heine

Hör ich das Liedchen klingen,
Das einst die Liebste sang,
So will mir die Brust zerspringen
Vor wildem Schmerzensdrang.

Es treibt mich ein dunkles Sehnen
Hinauf zur Waldeshöh,
Dort löst sich auf in Tränen
Mein übergroßes Weh.

When I hear the echoes thronging
English translation © Hal Draper

When I hear the echoes thronging
Of the song I heard her sing,
My breast nearly bursts with longing,
Wild-aching, shattering.

To the high wildwood it drives me,
This yearning, spinning brain;
And there my weeping rives me
In overbrimming pain.

Translations by Hal Draper published by Oxford University Press and Suhrkamp/Insel Verlag (1984)

Hör ich das Liedchen klingen (Schumann Dichterliebe No 10)
German source: Heinrich Heine

When I hear the echoes thronging
English source: Hal Draper

Hör ich das Liedchen klingen,
When I hear the echoes thronging
Das einst die Liebste sang,
Of the song I heard her sing,
So will mir die Brust zerspringen
My breast nearly bursts with longing,
Vor wildem Schmerzensdrang.
Wild-aching, shattering.

Es treibt mich ein dunkles Sehnen
To the high wildwood it drives me,
Hinauf zur Waldeshöh,
This yearning, spinning brain;
Dort löst sich auf in Tränen
And there my weeping rives me
Mein übergroßes Weh.
In overbrimming pain.

Composer

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…

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