Text & Translation
Labetrank der Liebe
German source:
Stoll, Josef
Meine kranke Seele schwebt,
Und der Wehmut süsse Träne
Deinem warmen Blick entschwebt:
Sink’ ich dir bei sanftem Wallen
Deines Busens sprachlos hin;
Engelmelodien schallen,
Und der Erde Schatten fliehn.
So in Eden hingesunken,
Lieb’ mit Liebe umgetauscht,
Küsse lispelnd wonnetrunken,
Wie von Seraphim umrauscht:
Reichst du mir im Engelbilde
Liebewarmen Labetrank,
Wenn im schnöden Staubgefilde
Schmachtend meine Seele sank.
Love's Reviving Potion
English translation ©
Richard Wigmore
my suffering soul hovers,
and sweet tears of sadness
flow from your warm gaze:
I sink down silently
on your gently heaving breast.
Angelic melodies sound
and the earth’s shadows take flight.
Thus, immersed in paradise,
exchanging love with love,
whispering kisses, drunk with ecstasy,
as if seraphim played about us:
you gave me, in the form of an angel,
a reviving potion, warm with love,
as my languishing soul
sank in the hateful, dusty wastes.
Labetrank der Liebe
German source:
Stoll, Josef
Love's Reviving Potion
English source:
Richard Wigmore
Wenn im Spiele leiser Töne
When, amid the strains of soft music,
Meine kranke Seele schwebt,
my suffering soul hovers,
Und der Wehmut süsse Träne
and sweet tears of sadness
Deinem warmen Blick entschwebt:
flow from your warm gaze:
Sink’ ich dir bei sanftem Wallen
I sink down silently
Deines Busens sprachlos hin;
on your gently heaving breast.
Engelmelodien schallen,
Angelic melodies sound
Und der Erde Schatten fliehn.
and the earth’s shadows take flight.
So in Eden hingesunken,
Thus, immersed in paradise,
Lieb’ mit Liebe umgetauscht,
exchanging love with love,
Küsse lispelnd wonnetrunken,
whispering kisses, drunk with ecstasy,
Wie von Seraphim umrauscht:
as if seraphim played about us:
Reichst du mir im Engelbilde
you gave me, in the form of an angel,
Liebewarmen Labetrank,
a reviving potion, warm with love,
Wenn im schnöden Staubgefilde
as my languishing soul
Schmachtend meine Seele sank.
sank in the hateful, dusty wastes.
Composer
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an late Classical and early Romantic composer. He produced a vast oeuvre during his short life, composing more the 600 vocal works (largely Lieder), and well as several symphonies, operas, and a large body of piano music. He…
