Minnelied
German source:
Ludwig Christoph Heinrich Hölty
Wenn die Engelreine,
Die mein Jünglingsherz bezwang,
Wandelt durch die Haine.
Röter blühen Tal und Au,
Grüner wird der Wasen,
Wo die Finger meiner Frau
Maienblumen lasen.
Ohne sie ist Alles tot,
Welk sind Blüt und Kräuter,
Und kein Frühlingsabendrot
Dünkt mir schön und heiter.
Traute, minnigliche Frau,
Wollest nimmer fliehen;
Daß mein Herz, gleich dieser Au,
Mög’ in Wonne blühen!
Love song
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
When the pure angel
Who has won my young heart
Wanders through the woods.
Valley and meadow bloom redder,
The grass grows greener,
Where my lady’s fingers
Gathered Maytime flowers.
Without her all is dead,
Flowers and herbs are withered,
And the spring sunset
Seems neither radiant nor fair.
Gentle, charming lady,
Do not ever leave me;
That my heart, like this meadow,
Might bloom in bliss!
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Minnelied
German source:
Ludwig Christoph Heinrich Hölty
Love song
English source:
Richard Stokes
Holder klingt der Vogelsang,
Birdsong sounds more beautiful
Wenn die Engelreine,
When the pure angel
Die mein Jünglingsherz bezwang,
Who has won my young heart
Wandelt durch die Haine.
Wanders through the woods.
Röter blühen Tal und Au,
Valley and meadow bloom redder,
Grüner wird der Wasen,
The grass grows greener,
Wo die Finger meiner Frau
Where my lady’s fingers
Maienblumen lasen.
Gathered Maytime flowers.
Ohne sie ist Alles tot,
Without her all is dead,
Welk sind Blüt und Kräuter,
Flowers and herbs are withered,
Und kein Frühlingsabendrot
And the spring sunset
Dünkt mir schön und heiter.
Seems neither radiant nor fair.
Traute, minnigliche Frau,
Gentle, charming lady,
Wollest nimmer fliehen;
Do not ever leave me;
Daß mein Herz, gleich dieser Au,
That my heart, like this meadow,
Mög’ in Wonne blühen!
Might bloom in bliss!
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
Ludwig Christoph Heinrich Hölty
Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty, was German poet who is considered the most gifted lyric poet of the Göttinger Hain, a group of young poets who saw themselves as heirs of the great lyric poet Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock and whose work was…
Performances
Previously performed at:
- 03. Brahms's Circle and the Musical Past (Part Two) 10 Oct 2020
- Brahms & Wolf: Ian Bostridge & Julius Drake 24 Oct 2017