Songs

Lied

by Franz Schubert

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Text & Translation

Lied
German source: Friedrich von Schiller

Es ist so angenehm, so süss,
Um einen lieben Mann zu spielen,
Entzückend, wie ein Paradies,
Des Mannes Feuerkuss zu fühlen.

Jetzt weiss ich, was mein Taubenpaar
Mit seinem sanften Girren sagte,
Und was der Nachtigallen Schar
So zärtlich sich in Liedern klagte.

Warum kein Blümchen mir gefiel,
Warum der Mai mir nimmer lachte,
Warum der Vögel Liederspiel
Mich nimmermehr zur Freude fachte.

Mir trauerte die ganze Welt,
Ich kannte nicht die schönsten Triebe,
Nun hab’ ich was mir längst gefehlt,
Beneide mich, Natur – ich liebe!

Song
English translation © Richard Wigmore

It is so pleasant and so sweet
to dally with a man you love,
and as delightful as paradise
to feel the man’s fiery kisses.

Now I know what my pair of doves
were saying with their soft cooing,
and what the host of nightingales
were lamenting so tenderly in their songs.

And why no flower pleased me,
Why May never smiled upon me,
Why the song of the birds
Never aroused me to joy.

To me the whole world seemed in mourning,
I did not know fair desire.
Now I have what I lacked for so long:
Envy me, Nature, I am in love!

Lied
German source: Friedrich von Schiller

Song
English source: Richard Wigmore

Es ist so angenehm, so süss,
It is so pleasant and so sweet
Um einen lieben Mann zu spielen,
to dally with a man you love,
Entzückend, wie ein Paradies,
and as delightful as paradise
Des Mannes Feuerkuss zu fühlen.
to feel the man’s fiery kisses.

Jetzt weiss ich, was mein Taubenpaar
Now I know what my pair of doves
Mit seinem sanften Girren sagte,
were saying with their soft cooing,
Und was der Nachtigallen Schar
and what the host of nightingales
So zärtlich sich in Liedern klagte.
were lamenting so tenderly in their songs.

Warum kein Blümchen mir gefiel,
And why no flower pleased me,
Warum der Mai mir nimmer lachte,
Why May never smiled upon me,
Warum der Vögel Liederspiel
Why the song of the birds
Mich nimmermehr zur Freude fachte.
Never aroused me to joy.

Mir trauerte die ganze Welt,
To me the whole world seemed in mourning,
Ich kannte nicht die schönsten Triebe,
I did not know fair desire.
Nun hab’ ich was mir längst gefehlt,
Now I have what I lacked for so long:
Beneide mich, Natur – ich liebe!
Envy me, Nature, I am in love!

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…

Poet

Friedrich von Schiller

Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller was a German poet, philosopher, physician, historian, and playwright. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller struck up a productive, if complicated, friendship with the already…

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