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 Quirijn de Lang and Sholto Kynoch, or click here to buy the CD from Stone Records.
Ja, die Schönst! Ich sagt es offen
German source:
August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben
Und ich war's mir frisch bewusst.
Kühnes Wagen, süsses Hoffen,
Frischer Mut und Wanderlust!
Und nun möcht' ich schier verzagen
Und im Herzeleid vergeh'n,
Denn nach diesen kurzen Tagen
Ist's um alles schon geschehn.
Lass sie sinken, lass sie fallen,
Lass sie alle stürzen ein,
All die Zinnen, Türm' und Hallen!
Ist die Schönste darum mein?
Sind nicht Riegel, Schlösser, Tore,
Ist nicht alles aufgetan?
Nur dein Herz, o Leonore,
Bleibt verschlossen mir fortan.
Yes, the fairest!
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
And have always been aware of it.
Dauntless adventure, sweet hope,
A bold spirit and a thirst for travel!
And now I am near to despair
And overwhelmed with sorrow,
For after these short-lived days
Everything has come to naught.
Let them crumble, let them fall,
Let them all come tumbling down:
Pinnacles, towers and halls!
Would the fairest thereby be mine?
Have not bolts, locks, gates
All been opened up?
Only your heart, Leonora,
Continues to be closed to me.
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Ja, die Schönst! Ich sagt es offen
German source:
August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben
Yes, the fairest!
English source:
Richard Stokes
Ja, die Schönst'! Ich sagt' es offen,
Yes, the fairest! I’ve said it openly,
Und ich war's mir frisch bewusst.
And have always been aware of it.
Kühnes Wagen, süsses Hoffen,
Dauntless adventure, sweet hope,
Frischer Mut und Wanderlust!
A bold spirit and a thirst for travel!
Und nun möcht' ich schier verzagen
And now I am near to despair
Und im Herzeleid vergeh'n,
And overwhelmed with sorrow,
Denn nach diesen kurzen Tagen
For after these short-lived days
Ist's um alles schon geschehn.
Everything has come to naught.
Lass sie sinken, lass sie fallen,
Let them crumble, let them fall,
Lass sie alle stürzen ein,
Let them all come tumbling down:
All die Zinnen, Türm' und Hallen!
Pinnacles, towers and halls!
Ist die Schönste darum mein?
Would the fairest thereby be mine?
Sind nicht Riegel, Schlösser, Tore,
Have not bolts, locks, gates
Ist nicht alles aufgetan?
All been opened up?
Nur dein Herz, o Leonore,
Only your heart, Leonora,
Bleibt verschlossen mir fortan.
Continues to be closed to me.
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
August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben
August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben was a German poet. He is best known for writing "Das Lied der Deutschen", its third stanza now being the national anthem of Germany, and a number of popular children's songs, considered part of the Young…