Songs

Lebe wohl

by Hugo Wolf From Mörike-Lieder

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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 Anna Grevelius and Sholto Kynoch, or click here to buy the CD from Stone Records.

Text & Translation

View IPA

Lebe wohl
German source: Eduard Mörike

„Lebewohl!“ – Du fühlest nicht,
Was es heisst, dies Wort der Schmerzen;
Mit getrostem Angesicht
Sagtest du's und leichtem Herzen.

Lebe wohl! – Ach! tausendmal
Hab ich mir es vorgesprochen,
Und in nimmersatter Qual
Mir das Herz damit gebrochen.

Farewell
English translation © Richard Stokes

“Farewell!” – You do not feel
What it means, this word of pain;
With hopeful countenance
You said it, and a light heart.

Farewell! – Ah, a thousand times
I have uttered it aloud,
And with never-ending anguish
Have broken my heart in doing so.

Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)

Lebe wohl
German source: Eduard Mörike

Farewell
English source: Richard Stokes

„Lebewohl!“ – Du fühlest nicht,
“Farewell!” – You do not feel
Was es heisst, dies Wort der Schmerzen;
What it means, this word of pain;
Mit getrostem Angesicht
With hopeful countenance
Sagtest du's und leichtem Herzen.
You said it, and a light heart.

Lebe wohl! – Ach! tausendmal
Farewell! – Ah, a thousand times
Hab ich mir es vorgesprochen,
I have uttered it aloud,
Und in nimmersatter Qual
And with never-ending anguish
Mir das Herz damit gebrochen.
Have broken my heart in doing so.

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

Eduard Mörike

Eduard Friedrich Mörike was a German Romantic poet. Mörike was born in Ludwigsburg. His father was Karl Friedrich Mörike (d. 1817), a district medical councilor; his mother was Charlotte Bayer. He attended the Latin school at Ludwigsburg, and the…

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