Lied
German source:
Joseph von Eichendorff
Vöglein, die ihr fernab fliegt,
Bronnen von den stillen Gipfeln,
Sagt, wo meine Heimat liegt?
Heut im Traum sah ich sie wieder,
Und von allen Bergen ging
Solches Grüßen zu mir nieder,
Daß ich an zu weinen fing.
Ach! hier auf den fremden Gipfeln:
Menschen, Quellen, Fels und Baum -
Alles ist mir wie ein Traum!
Muntre Vögel in den Wipfeln,
Ihr Gesellen dort im Tal,
Grüßt mir von den fremden Gipfeln
Meine Heimat tausendmal!
Song
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Little birds flying afar,
Springs bursting from silent peaks,
Tell me where my homeland lies.
Today in a dream I saw it again,
And from all the mountains
Such a greeting descended
That I began to weep.
Ah! here on these foreign peaks:
People, springs, rock and tree –
All seems to me a dream!
Blithe birds in the treetops,
You, my friends, down in the valley,
Greet for me, from these foreign peaks,
My homeland a thousand times!
Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Lied
German source:
Joseph von Eichendorff
Song
English source:
Richard Stokes
Lindes Rauschen in den Wipfeln,
Gentle rustling in the treetops,
Vöglein, die ihr fernab fliegt,
Little birds flying afar,
Bronnen von den stillen Gipfeln,
Springs bursting from silent peaks,
Sagt, wo meine Heimat liegt?
Tell me where my homeland lies.
Heut im Traum sah ich sie wieder,
Today in a dream I saw it again,
Und von allen Bergen ging
And from all the mountains
Solches Grüßen zu mir nieder,
Such a greeting descended
Daß ich an zu weinen fing.
That I began to weep.
Ach! hier auf den fremden Gipfeln:
Ah! here on these foreign peaks:
Menschen, Quellen, Fels und Baum -
People, springs, rock and tree –
Alles ist mir wie ein Traum!
All seems to me a dream!
Muntre Vögel in den Wipfeln,
Blithe birds in the treetops,
Ihr Gesellen dort im Tal,
You, my friends, down in the valley,
Grüßt mir von den fremden Gipfeln
Greet for me, from these foreign peaks,
Meine Heimat tausendmal!
My homeland a thousand times!
Composer
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms (7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna. Brahms has been considered, by his…
Poet
Joseph von Eichendorff
Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff was a German poet, novelist, playwright, literary critic, translator, and anthologist. Eichendorff was one of the major writers and critics of Romanticism. Ever since their publication and up to the present day, some…