Mailied
German source:
Elisabeth Kulmann
Schön damit zu kränzen,
Reihe dich, o junge Schaar,
Dann zu frohen Tänzen.
Freuet euch, so lang der Mai
Und der Sommer währet,
Nur zu bald sind sie vorbei
Und der Winter kehret.
Lange müßt ihr dann auf’s neu
Bei der Lampe sitzen,
Und bei ew’gem Einerlei
Saurer Arbeit schwitzen.
May song
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
In beauty your hair,
Then, young girls,
Join the happy dance.
Be glad, as long as May
And summer last,
Only too soon will they have gone,
And winter will return.
Then you will have to sit again
A long time by the lamp,
Sweating at the monotony
Of unpleasant work.
Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Mailied
German source:
Elisabeth Kulmann
May song
English source:
Richard Stokes
Pflücket Rosen, um das Haar
Pluck roses, to adorn
Schön damit zu kränzen,
In beauty your hair,
Reihe dich, o junge Schaar,
Then, young girls,
Dann zu frohen Tänzen.
Join the happy dance.
Freuet euch, so lang der Mai
Be glad, as long as May
Und der Sommer währet,
And summer last,
Nur zu bald sind sie vorbei
Only too soon will they have gone,
Und der Winter kehret.
And winter will return.
Lange müßt ihr dann auf’s neu
Then you will have to sit again
Bei der Lampe sitzen,
A long time by the lamp,
Und bei ew’gem Einerlei
Sweating at the monotony
Saurer Arbeit schwitzen.
Of unpleasant work.
Composer
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann was a German composer and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career as a virtuoso pianist. He had been assured…
Poet
Elisabeth Kulmann
Elisabeth Kulmann was Russian, German and Italian poet and translator. She was born in the Russian Empire in a large family of Boris Fedorovich, and Mary (née Rosenberg) Kulmann, of German origin. Father, collegiate councilor and a retired captain,…