Songs

Hör' ich das Liedchen klingen

by Edvard Grieg

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Text & Translation

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Hör' ich das Liedchen klingen
German source: Heinrich Heine

Hör’ ich das Liedchen klingen,
Das einst die Liebste sang,
So will mir die Brust zerspringen
Von wildem Schmerzendrang.

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

When I hear the little song
English translation © Richard Stokes

When I hear the little song
That my love once sang,
My heart almost bursts
With the wild rush of pain.

A dark longing drives me
Out to the wooded heights,
Where my overwhelming grief
Dissolves in tears.

Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)

Hör' ich das Liedchen klingen
German source: Heinrich Heine

When I hear the little song
English source: Richard Stokes

Hör’ ich das Liedchen klingen,
When I hear the little song
Das einst die Liebste sang,
That my love once sang,
So will mir die Brust zerspringen
My heart almost bursts
Von wildem Schmerzendrang.
With the wild rush of pain.

Es treibt mich ein dunkles Sehnen
A dark longing drives me
Hinauf zur Waldeshöh’,
Out to the wooded heights,
Dort löst sich auf in Tränen
Where my overwhelming grief
Mein übergrosses Weh’.
Dissolves in tears.

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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