This song was recorded on the album 'Schubert Year by Year' on Stone Records, in preparation for Oxford Lieder's 2014 The Schubert Project, the first ever complete performance of Schubert's songs in a single festival. It features one song from each year of Schubert's creative life.
Click here to listen to the song with Mary Bevan and Sholto Kynoch, or click here to buy the CD from Stone Records.
Lob der Tränen
German source:
August Wilhelm von Schlegel
Blumendüfte,
Alle Lenz- und Jugendlust;
Frischer Lippen
Küsse nippen,
Sanft gewiegt an zarter Brust;
Dann der Trauben
Nektar rauben,
Reihentanz und Spiel und Scherz:
Was die Sinnen
Nur gewinnen:
Ach, erfüllt es je das Herz?
Wenn die feuchten
Augen leuchten
Von der Wehmut lindem Tau,
Dann entsiegelt,
Drin gespiegelt,
Sich dem Blick die Himmelsau.
Wie erquicklich
Augenblicklich
Löscht es jede wilde Glut!
Wie vom Regen
Blumen pflegen,
Hebet sich der matte Mut.
In Praise of Tears
English translation ©
Richard Wigmore
fragrant flowers,
all the pleasures of spring and youth;
sipping kisses
from fresh lips,
lulled gently on a tender breast;
then stealing nectar
from the grapes,
dancing, games and banter:
what the senses alone
can obtain:
ah, does it ever satisfy the heart?
When moist eyes
glisten
with the gentle dew of sadness,
then, reflected in them,
the fields of heaven
are revealed to the gaze.
How refreshingly,
how swiftly
every fierce passion is quelled;
as flowers are revived
by the rain,
so do our weary spirits revive.
Lob der Tränen
German source:
August Wilhelm von Schlegel
In Praise of Tears
English source:
Richard Wigmore
Laue Lüfte,
Warm breezes,
Blumendüfte,
fragrant flowers,
Alle Lenz- und Jugendlust;
all the pleasures of spring and youth;
Frischer Lippen
sipping kisses
Küsse nippen,
from fresh lips,
Sanft gewiegt an zarter Brust;
lulled gently on a tender breast;
Dann der Trauben
then stealing nectar
Nektar rauben,
from the grapes,
Reihentanz und Spiel und Scherz:
dancing, games and banter:
Was die Sinnen
what the senses alone
Nur gewinnen:
can obtain:
Ach, erfüllt es je das Herz?
ah, does it ever satisfy the heart?
Wenn die feuchten
When moist eyes
Augen leuchten
glisten
Von der Wehmut lindem Tau,
with the gentle dew of sadness,
Dann entsiegelt,
then, reflected in them,
Drin gespiegelt,
the fields of heaven
Sich dem Blick die Himmelsau.
are revealed to the gaze.
Wie erquicklich
How refreshingly,
Augenblicklich
how swiftly
Löscht es jede wilde Glut!
every fierce passion is quelled;
Wie vom Regen
as flowers are revived
Blumen pflegen,
by the rain,
Hebet sich der matte Mut.
so do our weary spirits revive.
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
August Wilhelm von Schlegel
August Wilhelm (after 1812: von) Schlegel, usually cited as August Schlegel, was a German poet, translator, critic, and a foremost leader of Jena Romanticism along with his brother Friedrich Schlegel. His translations of Shakespeare made the English…