Songs

Neue Liebe

by Felix Mendelssohn From Six Songs (1834) Op. 19a 1830-1834

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Text & Translation

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Neue Liebe
German source: Heinrich Heine

In dem Mondenschein im Walde
Sah ich jüngst die Elfen reiten,
Ihre Hörner hört’ ich klingen,
Ihre Glöcklein hört’ ich läuten.

Ihre weißen Rößlein trugen
Gold’nes Hirschgeweih’ und flogen
Rasch dahin; wie wilde Schwäne
Kam es durch die Luft gezogen.

Lächelnd nickte mir die Kön’gin,
Lächelnd, im Vorüberreiten.
Galt das meiner neuen Liebe?
Oder soll es Tod bedeuten?

New Love
English translation © Richard Stokes

In the moonlight of the forest
I saw of late the elves riding,
I heard their horns resounding,
I heard their little bells ring.

Their little white horses
Had golden antlers and flew
Quickly past; like wild swans
They came through the air.

With a smile the queen nodded to me,
With a smile she rode quickly by,
Was it to herald a new love?
Or does it signify death?

Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)

Neue Liebe
German source: Heinrich Heine

New Love
English source: Richard Stokes

In dem Mondenschein im Walde
In the moonlight of the forest
Sah ich jüngst die Elfen reiten,
I saw of late the elves riding,
Ihre Hörner hört’ ich klingen,
I heard their horns resounding,
Ihre Glöcklein hört’ ich läuten.
I heard their little bells ring.

Ihre weißen Rößlein trugen
Their little white horses
Gold’nes Hirschgeweih’ und flogen
Had golden antlers and flew
Rasch dahin; wie wilde Schwäne
Quickly past; like wild swans
Kam es durch die Luft gezogen.
They came through the air.

Lächelnd nickte mir die Kön’gin,
With a smile the queen nodded to me,
Lächelnd, im Vorüberreiten.
With a smile she rode quickly by,
Galt das meiner neuen Liebe?
Was it to herald a new love?
Oder soll es Tod bedeuten?
Or does it signify death?

Composer

Felix Mendelssohn

Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 1809 – 4 November 1847), brother of Fanny Mendelssohn and grandson of Haskalah and Enlightenment philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early…

Poet

Heinrich Heine

Heine was born of Jewish parents. Much of his early life was influenced by the financial power of his uncle Salomon Heine, a millionaire Hamburg banker, with whom he remained on an awkward footing for many years. After he had been educated in the…

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