Text & Translation
Ist als wenn eins gerufen hätt
German source:
Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Die Stimme war schwach und doch recht klar,
Hilf Gott, dass es nit meine Mutter war.
Ist gar ein alt, gebrechlich Weib,
Möcht, dass der Anblick erspart ihr bleib.
O, nur so viel erbarm dich mein,
Lass das nit meine Mutter sein !
It's as if someone had called
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
The voice was faint and not quite clear,
I pray to God it was not my mother.
She's such an old and frail woman,
I should like her to be spared this sight.
O show me this much mercy,
May it not be my mother!
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Ist als wenn eins gerufen hätt
German source:
Hugo von Hofmannsthal
It's as if someone had called
English source:
Richard Stokes
Ist, als wenn eins gerufen hätt,
It's as if someone had called,
Die Stimme war schwach und doch recht klar,
The voice was faint and not quite clear,
Hilf Gott, dass es nit meine Mutter war.
I pray to God it was not my mother.
Ist gar ein alt, gebrechlich Weib,
She's such an old and frail woman,
Möcht, dass der Anblick erspart ihr bleib.
I should like her to be spared this sight.
O, nur so viel erbarm dich mein,
O show me this much mercy,
Lass das nit meine Mutter sein !
May it not be my mother!
Composer
Frank Martin
Frank Martin was a Swiss composer, who lived a large part of his life in the Netherlands.
Poet
Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Hugo Laurenz August Hofmann von Hofmannsthal (1 February 1874 – 15 July 1929) was an Austrian prodigy, a novelist, librettist, poet, dramatist, narrator, and essayist. He became internationally famous through his work with Richard Strauss. The only…