Songs
Liebe mir im Busen zündet’ einen Brand
by Hugo Wolf From Spanisches Liederbuch: Weltliche Lieder (1890)
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 Huntley and Sholto Kynoch, or click here to buy the CD from Stone Records.
Liebe mir im Busen zündet’ einen Brand
German source:
Paul Heyse
Zündet einen Brand.
Wasser, liebe Mutter,
Eh das Herz verbrannt!
Nicht das blinde Kind
Straft für meine Fehle;
Hat zuerst die Seele
Mir gekühlt so lind.
Dann entflammt’s geschwind
Ach, mein Unverstand;
Wasser, liebe Mutter,
Eh das Herz verbrannt!
Ach! wo ist die Flut,
Die dem Feuer wehre?
Für so grosse Glut
Sind zu arm die Meere.
Weil es wohl mir tut
Wein’ ich unverwandt;
Wasser, liebe Mutter,
Eh das Herz verbrannt!
Love in my breast has kindled a fire
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Has kindled a fire.
Water, dear mother,
Before my heart’s consumed!
Do not blame blind Cupid
For my faults;
He cooled my soul
So gently at first.
Then, alas, he swiftly
Inflamed my folly.
Water, dear mother,
Before my heart’s consumed!
Ah, where is the flood
That might quench this fire?
For so great a flame
The seas are too small.
Since it does me good,
I weep without restraint;
Water, dear mother,
Before my heart’s consumed!
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Liebe mir im Busen zündet’ einen Brand
German source:
Paul Heyse
Love in my breast has kindled a fire
English source:
Richard Stokes
Liebe mir im Busen
Love in my breast
Zündet einen Brand.
Has kindled a fire.
Wasser, liebe Mutter,
Water, dear mother,
Eh das Herz verbrannt!
Before my heart’s consumed!
Nicht das blinde Kind
Do not blame blind Cupid
Straft für meine Fehle;
For my faults;
Hat zuerst die Seele
He cooled my soul
Mir gekühlt so lind.
So gently at first.
Dann entflammt’s geschwind
Then, alas, he swiftly
Ach, mein Unverstand;
Inflamed my folly.
Wasser, liebe Mutter,
Water, dear mother,
Eh das Herz verbrannt!
Before my heart’s consumed!
Ach! wo ist die Flut,
Ah, where is the flood
Die dem Feuer wehre?
That might quench this fire?
Für so grosse Glut
For so great a flame
Sind zu arm die Meere.
The seas are too small.
Weil es wohl mir tut
Since it does me good,
Wein’ ich unverwandt;
I weep without restraint;
Wasser, liebe Mutter,
Water, dear mother,
Eh das Herz verbrannt!
Before my heart’s consumed!
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
Paul Heyse
Paul Johann Ludwig von Heyse was a distinguished German writer and translator. A member of two important literary societies, the Tunnel über der Spree in Berlin and Die Krokodile in Munich, he wrote novels, poetry, 177 short stories, and about sixty…