Text & Translation
Mein Herz ist schwer
German source:
Emanuel Geibel
Der Wind fährt seufzend durch die Nacht;
Die Wipfel rauschen weit und breit,
Sie rauschen von vergangner Zeit.
Sie rauschen von vergangner Zeit,
Von großem Glück und Herzeleid,
Vom Schloß und von der Jungfrau drin—
Wo ist das alles, alles hin?
Wo ist das alles, alles hin,
Leid, Lieb und Lust und Jugendsinn?
Der Wind fährt seufzend durch die Nacht,
Mein Herz ist schwer, mein Auge wacht.
My heart is heavy
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
The wind goes sighing through the night;
The tree-tops murmur far and wide,
Murmuring of times now past.
Murmuring of times now past,
Of great happiness and heartache,
Of the castle and the maiden within—
Where has all this, all this fled?
Where has all this, all this fled,
Grief, love and joy and youth?
The wind goes sighing through the night,
My heart is heavy, my eyes keep watch.
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Mein Herz ist schwer
German source:
Emanuel Geibel
My heart is heavy
English source:
Richard Stokes
Mein Herz ist schwer, mein Auge wacht,
My heart is heavy, my eyes keep watch,
Der Wind fährt seufzend durch die Nacht;
The wind goes sighing through the night;
Die Wipfel rauschen weit und breit,
The tree-tops murmur far and wide,
Sie rauschen von vergangner Zeit.
Murmuring of times now past.
Sie rauschen von vergangner Zeit,
Murmuring of times now past,
Von großem Glück und Herzeleid,
Of great happiness and heartache,
Vom Schloß und von der Jungfrau drin—
Of the castle and the maiden within—
Wo ist das alles, alles hin?
Where has all this, all this fled?
Wo ist das alles, alles hin,
Where has all this, all this fled,
Leid, Lieb und Lust und Jugendsinn?
Grief, love and joy and youth?
Der Wind fährt seufzend durch die Nacht,
The wind goes sighing through the night,
Mein Herz ist schwer, mein Auge wacht.
My heart is heavy, my eyes keep watch.
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
Emanuel Geibel
Emanuel von Geibel , German poet and playwright. He was born at Lübeck, the son of a pastor. He was originally intended for his father's profession and studied at Bonn and Berlin, but his real interests lay not in theology but in classical and…