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 Geraldine McGreevy and Sholto Kynoch, or click here to buy the CD from Stone Records.
Man sagt mir, deine Mutter wolle es nicht
German source:
Paul Heyse
So bleibe weg, mein Schatz, tu ihr den Willen.
Ach Liebster, nein! Tu ihr den Willen nicht,
Besuch mich doch, tu’s ihr zum Trotz, im Stillen!
Nein, mein Geliebter, folg’ ihr nimmermehr,
Tu’s ihr zum Trotz, komm öfter als bisher!
Nein, höre nicht auf sie, was sie auch sage;
Tu’s ihr zum Trotz, mein Lieb, komm all Tage!
They tell me your mother disapproves
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Then stay away, beloved, do as she bids.
Ah no! my love, do not do as she bids,
Defy her, visit me in secret!
No, my love, do not obey her ever again,
Defy her, come more often than before!
No, don’t listen to her, whatever she says;
Defy her, my love, come every day!
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Man sagt mir, deine Mutter wolle es nicht
German source:
Paul Heyse
They tell me your mother disapproves
English source:
Richard Stokes
Man sagt mir, deine Mutter wolle es nicht;
They tell me your mother disapproves;
So bleibe weg, mein Schatz, tu ihr den Willen.
Then stay away, beloved, do as she bids.
Ach Liebster, nein! Tu ihr den Willen nicht,
Ah no! my love, do not do as she bids,
Besuch mich doch, tu’s ihr zum Trotz, im Stillen!
Defy her, visit me in secret!
Nein, mein Geliebter, folg’ ihr nimmermehr,
No, my love, do not obey her ever again,
Tu’s ihr zum Trotz, komm öfter als bisher!
Defy her, come more often than before!
Nein, höre nicht auf sie, was sie auch sage;
No, don’t listen to her, whatever she says;
Tu’s ihr zum Trotz, mein Lieb, komm all Tage!
Defy her, my love, come every day!
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…