Songs
Herr, was trägt der Boden hier
by Hugo Wolf From Spanisches Liederbuch: Geistliche Lieder (1890)
This song was recorded live at the Oxford Lieder Festival as part of Hugo Wolf: The Complete Songs on Stone Records.
Click here to listen to this song with Birgid Steinberger and Sholto Kynoch, or click here to buy the CD from Stone Records.
Herr, was trägt der Boden hier
German source:
Paul Heyse
Den du tränkst so bitterlich?
„Dornen, liebes Herz, für mich,
Und für dich der Blumen Zier.“
Ach, wo solche Bäche rinnen,
Wird ein Garten da gedeihn?
„Ja, und wisse! Kränzelein,
Gar verschiedne, flicht man drinnen.“
O mein Herr, zu wessen Zier
Windet man die Kränze? sprich!
„Die von Dornen sind für mich,
Die von Blumen reich ich dir.“
Lord, what will grow in this soil
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
That Thou dost water with Thy bitter tears?
“Thorns, dear heart, for me,
And for you a wreath of flowers.”
Ah, where such streams flow,
Can a garden flourish there?
“Yes, and I know this: many varied
Wreaths are woven there.”
O my Lord, for whose head
Are these wreaths woven, say?
“Those of thorns are for me,
Those of flowers I hand to you.”
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Herr, was trägt der Boden hier
German source:
Paul Heyse
Lord, what will grow in this soil
English source:
Richard Stokes
Herr, was trägt der Boden hier,
Lord, what will grow in this soil
Den du tränkst so bitterlich?
That Thou dost water with Thy bitter tears?
„Dornen, liebes Herz, für mich,
“Thorns, dear heart, for me,
Und für dich der Blumen Zier.“
And for you a wreath of flowers.”
Ach, wo solche Bäche rinnen,
Ah, where such streams flow,
Wird ein Garten da gedeihn?
Can a garden flourish there?
„Ja, und wisse! Kränzelein,
“Yes, and I know this: many varied
Gar verschiedne, flicht man drinnen.“
Wreaths are woven there.”
O mein Herr, zu wessen Zier
O my Lord, for whose head
Windet man die Kränze? sprich!
Are these wreaths woven, say?
„Die von Dornen sind für mich,
“Those of thorns are for me,
Die von Blumen reich ich dir.“
Those of flowers I hand to you.”
Composer
Hugo Wolf
Hugo Filipp Jakob Wolf was born on 13 March 1860, the fourth of six surviving children, in Windischgraz, Styria, then part of the Austrian Empire. He was taught the piano and violin by his father at an early age and continued to study piano at the…
Poet
Paul Heyse
Paul Johann Ludwig von Heyse was a distinguished German writer and translator. A member of two important literary societies, the Tunnel über der Spree in Berlin and Die Krokodile in Munich, he wrote novels, poetry, 177 short stories, and about sixty…