Songs

Nicht wandle, mein Licht

by Johannes Brahms From Liebeslieder-Walzer (1869) Op. 52

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Text & Translation

View IPA

Nicht wandle, mein Licht
German source: Georg Friedrich Daumer

Nicht wandle, mein Licht, dort außen
Im Flurbereich!
Die Füße würden dir, die zarten,
Zu naß, zu weich.

All überströmt sind die Wege,
Die Stege dir,
So überreichlich tränte dorten
Das Auge mir.

Do not wander, my love
English translation © Richard Stokes

Do not wander, my love, out there
in the fields!
The ground would be too wet
for your tender feet.

The paths and tracks
are all flooded out there,
so abundantly have my eyes
been weeping.

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

Nicht wandle, mein Licht
German source: Georg Friedrich Daumer

Do not wander, my love
English source: Richard Stokes

Nicht wandle, mein Licht, dort außen
Do not wander, my love, out there
Im Flurbereich!
in the fields!
Die Füße würden dir, die zarten,
The ground would be too wet
Zu naß, zu weich.
for your tender feet.

All überströmt sind die Wege,
The paths and tracks
Die Stege dir,
are all flooded out there,
So überreichlich tränte dorten
so abundantly have my eyes
Das Auge mir.
been weeping.

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

Georg Friedrich Daumer

Georg Friedrich Daumer was a German poet and philosopher.

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