Mohnblumen
German source:
Felix Dahn
rotblutigen gesunden,
die sommersproßgebraunten,
die immer froh gelaunten,
kreuzbraven, kreuzfidelen,
tanznimmermüden Seelen;
die unter'm Lachen weinen
und nur geboren scheinen,
die Kornblumen zu necken,
und dennoch oft verstecken
die weichsten, besten Herzen,
im Schlinggewächs von Scherzen;
die man, weiß Gott, mit Küssen
ersticken würde müssen,
wär' man nicht immer bange,
umarmest du die Range,
sie springt ein voller Brander
aufflammend auseinander.
Poppies
(2011)
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Red-blooded, healthy girls,
The brown and freckled ones,
The always good-humoured ones,
Honest and merry as the day is long,
Who never tire of dancing,
Who laugh and cry simultaneously
And only seem to be born
To tease the cornflowers,
And yet often conceal
The gentlest and kindest hearts
As they entwine and play their pranks,
Those whom, God knows,
You would have to stifle with kisses,
Were you not so timid,
For if you embrace the minx,
She will burst, like smouldering timber,
Into flames!
Mohnblumen
German source:
Felix Dahn
Poppies (2011)
English source:
Richard Stokes
Mohnblumen sind die runden,
Poppies are the round,
rotblutigen gesunden,
Red-blooded, healthy girls,
die sommersproßgebraunten,
The brown and freckled ones,
die immer froh gelaunten,
The always good-humoured ones,
kreuzbraven, kreuzfidelen,
Honest and merry as the day is long,
tanznimmermüden Seelen;
Who never tire of dancing,
die unter'm Lachen weinen
Who laugh and cry simultaneously
und nur geboren scheinen,
And only seem to be born
die Kornblumen zu necken,
To tease the cornflowers,
und dennoch oft verstecken
And yet often conceal
die weichsten, besten Herzen,
The gentlest and kindest hearts
im Schlinggewächs von Scherzen;
As they entwine and play their pranks,
die man, weiß Gott, mit Küssen
Those whom, God knows,
ersticken würde müssen,
You would have to stifle with kisses,
wär' man nicht immer bange,
Were you not so timid,
umarmest du die Range,
For if you embrace the minx,
sie springt ein voller Brander
She will burst, like smouldering timber,
aufflammend auseinander.
Into flames!
Composer
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is particularly well-known for his operas, Lieder, and tone poems. Read more here.
Poet
Felix Dahn
Felix Dahn was a German law professor, author, poet and historian.