Ihr Bildnis
German source:
Heinrich Heine
Und starrte ihr Bildnis an,
Und das geliebte Antlitz
Heimlich zu leben begann.
Um ihre Lippen zog sich
Ein Lächeln wunderbar,
Und wie von Wehmutstränen
Erglänzte ihr Augenpaar.
Auch meine Tränen flossen
Mir von den Wangen herab –
Und ach, ich kann’s nicht glauben,
Dass ich dich verloren hab!
Her Picture
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
And stared at her picture,
And that beloved face
Sprang mysteriously to life.
About her lips
A wondrous smile played,
And as with sad tears,
Her eyes gleamed.
And my tears flowed
Down my cheeks,
And ah, I cannot believe
That I have lost you!
Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Ihr Bildnis
German source:
Heinrich Heine
Her Picture
English source:
Richard Stokes
Ich stand in dunklen Träumen
I stood darkly dreaming
Und starrte ihr Bildnis an,
And stared at her picture,
Und das geliebte Antlitz
And that beloved face
Heimlich zu leben begann.
Sprang mysteriously to life.
Um ihre Lippen zog sich
About her lips
Ein Lächeln wunderbar,
A wondrous smile played,
Und wie von Wehmutstränen
And as with sad tears,
Erglänzte ihr Augenpaar.
Her eyes gleamed.
Auch meine Tränen flossen
And my tears flowed
Mir von den Wangen herab –
Down my cheeks,
Und ach, ich kann’s nicht glauben,
And ah, I cannot believe
Dass ich dich verloren hab!
That I have lost you!
Composer
Clara Schumann
Clara Schumann (1819-96) née Wieck is one of the most significant women in musical history. Apart from being a tremendously successful pianist and pedagogue, she wrote numerous songs alongside other works in various genres. She also transformed the…
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…
Performances
Previously performed at:
- 31. The Schumanns: Alessandro Fisher & Ashok Gupta 17 Oct 2019
- 11. Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms: Tara Erraught & James Baillieu 13 Oct 2019
- 10. Clara Schumann - Rethinking the Myth: Natasha Loges, Joe Davies, Laura Hamer, Jessy McCabe, Tara Erraught & James Baillieu 13 Oct 2019
- Clara's Piano: Bryony Williams, John Mark Ainsley & David Owen Norris 19 Oct 2016