Text & Translation
Klinge, klinge, mein Pandero
German source:
Emanuel Geibel
Doch an andres denkt mein Herz.
Wenn du, muntres Ding, verständest
Meine Qual und sie empfändest,
Jeder Ton, den du entsendest,
Würde klagen meinen Schmerz.
Bei des Tanzes Drehn und Neigen
Schlag' ich wild den Takt zum Reigen,
Daß nur die Gedanken schweigen,
Die mich mahnen an den Schmerz.
Ach, ihr Herrn, dann will im Schwingen
Oftmals mir die Brust zerspringen,
Und zum Angstschrei wird mein Singen,
Denn an andres denkt mein Herz.
Ring out, ring out, my tambourine
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Though my heart thinks of other things.
If you, blithe instrument, could understand
And feel my torment,
Each one of your sounds
Would bewail my grief.
As the dance whirls and turns,
I beat out wildly the dance’s rhythm,
Simply in order to silence the thoughts
That remind me of my grief.
Ah, good sirs, while I whirl around,
My heart often feels like breaking,
And my song becomes a cry of anguish,
For my heart thinks of other things.
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Klinge, klinge, mein Pandero
German source:
Emanuel Geibel
Ring out, ring out, my tambourine
English source:
Richard Stokes
Klinge, klinge, mein Pandero,
Ring out, ring out, my tambourine,
Doch an andres denkt mein Herz.
Though my heart thinks of other things.
Wenn du, muntres Ding, verständest
If you, blithe instrument, could understand
Meine Qual und sie empfändest,
And feel my torment,
Jeder Ton, den du entsendest,
Each one of your sounds
Würde klagen meinen Schmerz.
Would bewail my grief.
Bei des Tanzes Drehn und Neigen
As the dance whirls and turns,
Schlag' ich wild den Takt zum Reigen,
I beat out wildly the dance’s rhythm,
Daß nur die Gedanken schweigen,
Simply in order to silence the thoughts
Die mich mahnen an den Schmerz.
That remind me of my grief.
Ach, ihr Herrn, dann will im Schwingen
Ah, good sirs, while I whirl around,
Oftmals mir die Brust zerspringen,
My heart often feels like breaking,
Und zum Angstschrei wird mein Singen,
And my song becomes a cry of anguish,
Denn an andres denkt mein Herz.
For my heart thinks of other things.
Composer
Niels Gade
Niels Wilhelm Gade(22 February 1817 – 21 December 1890) was a Danish composer, conductor, violinist, organist and teacher. He is considered the most important Danish musician of his day. Gade was born in Copenhagen, the son of a joiner and…
Poet
Emanuel Geibel
Emanuel von Geibel , German poet and playwright. He was born at Lübeck, the son of a pastor. He was originally intended for his father's profession and studied at Bonn and Berlin, but his real interests lay not in theology but in classical and…