Songs

Mein Liebster singt am Haus im Mondenscheine

by Hugo Wolf From Italienisches Liederbuch

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Text & Translation

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Mein Liebster singt am Haus im Mondenscheine
German source: Paul Heyse

Mein Liebster singt am Haus im Mondenscheine,
Und ich muss lauschend hier im Bette liegen.
Weg von der Mutter wend’ ich mich und weine,
Blut sind die Tränen, die mir nicht versiegen.
Den breiten Strom am Bett hab’ ich geweint,
Weiss nicht vor Tränen, ob der Morgen scheint.
Den breiten Strom am Bett weint’ ich vor Sehnen;
Blind haben mich gemacht die blut’gen Tränen.

My sweetheart's singing outside the moonlit house
English translation © Richard Stokes

My sweetheart’s singing outside the moonlit house,
And I must lie in bed and listen.
I turn away from my mother and weep,
My tears are blood, which will not dry.
I have wept that broad stream by the bed,
I do not know for tears if day has dawned.
I’ve wept that broad stream out of longing;
The tears of blood have blinded me.

Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)

Mein Liebster singt am Haus im Mondenscheine
German source: Paul Heyse

My sweetheart's singing outside the moonlit house
English source: Richard Stokes

Mein Liebster singt am Haus im Mondenscheine,
My sweetheart’s singing outside the moonlit house,
Und ich muss lauschend hier im Bette liegen.
And I must lie in bed and listen.
Weg von der Mutter wend’ ich mich und weine,
I turn away from my mother and weep,
Blut sind die Tränen, die mir nicht versiegen.
My tears are blood, which will not dry.
Den breiten Strom am Bett hab’ ich geweint,
I have wept that broad stream by the bed,
Weiss nicht vor Tränen, ob der Morgen scheint.
I do not know for tears if day has dawned.
Den breiten Strom am Bett weint’ ich vor Sehnen;
I’ve wept that broad stream out of longing;
Blind haben mich gemacht die blut’gen Tränen.
The tears of blood have blinded me.

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…

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