Kurzes Erwachen
German source:
Justinus Kerner
Und hab es nicht gewusst,
Also von Schmerz befangen
Ist die erkrankte Brust.
Ein Vogel hat gesungen
Im jungbelaubten Wald,
Da ist in’s Herz gedrungen
Mir seine Stimme bald.
Vom Aug’ ist mir gefallen
Ein schwerer Tränen-Tau,
Drauf sah den Mai ich wallen
Durch Erd’ und Himmel blau.
Als Vogel ausgesungen
Flog er in’s weite Land,
Und wie sein Lied verklungen
Um mich der Mai verschwand.
Brief Awakening
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
And was not aware of it,
So sunk in grief
Was my sick heart.
A bird sang in the forest
That had just turned green,
Its song was soon
To pierce my heart.
Heavy dew-like tears
Fell from my eyes,
And I saw May move across
The earth and the blue sky.
When the bird had ceased its song,
It flew to a distant land,
And when its song had faded,
May vanished all around me.
Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Kurzes Erwachen
German source:
Justinus Kerner
Brief Awakening
English source:
Richard Stokes
Ich bin im Mai gegangen
I set out in May
Und hab es nicht gewusst,
And was not aware of it,
Also von Schmerz befangen
So sunk in grief
Ist die erkrankte Brust.
Was my sick heart.
Ein Vogel hat gesungen
A bird sang in the forest
Im jungbelaubten Wald,
That had just turned green,
Da ist in’s Herz gedrungen
Its song was soon
Mir seine Stimme bald.
To pierce my heart.
Vom Aug’ ist mir gefallen
Heavy dew-like tears
Ein schwerer Tränen-Tau,
Fell from my eyes,
Drauf sah den Mai ich wallen
And I saw May move across
Durch Erd’ und Himmel blau.
The earth and the blue sky.
Als Vogel ausgesungen
When the bird had ceased its song,
Flog er in’s weite Land,
It flew to a distant land,
Und wie sein Lied verklungen
And when its song had faded,
Um mich der Mai verschwand.
May vanished all around me.
Composer
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann was a German composer and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career as a virtuoso pianist. He had been assured…
Poet
Justinus Kerner
Justinus Andreas Christian Kerner was a German poet, practicing physician, and medical writer. He was born at Ludwigsburg in Württemberg. After attending the classical schools of Ludwigsburg and Maulbronn, he was apprenticed in a cloth factory,…