Songs

Rede, Mädchen, allzu liebes

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

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Text & Translation

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Rede, Mädchen, allzu liebes
German source: Georg Friedrich Daumer

Rede, Mädchen, allzu liebes,
Das mir in die Brust, die kühle,
Hat geschleudert mit dem Blicke
Diese wilden Glutgefühle!

Willst du nicht dein Herz erweichen,
Willst du, eine Überfromme,
Rasten ohne traute Wonne,
Oder willst du, daß ich komme?

Rasten ohne traute Wonne,
Nicht so bitter will ich büßen.
Komme nur, du schwarzes Auge,
Komme, wenn die Sterne grüßen!

Tell me, my sweetest girl
English translation © Richard Stokes

Tell me, my sweetest girl,
who with your glances
have kindled in my cool breast
these wild, passionate feelings!

Will you not relent, will you,
with an excess of virtue,
live without love’s rapture,
or do you wish me to come to you?

To live without love’s rapture,
is a bitter fate I would not suffer.
Come, then, with your dark eyes,
come, when the stars beckon!

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

Rede, Mädchen, allzu liebes
German source: Georg Friedrich Daumer

Tell me, my sweetest girl
English source: Richard Stokes

Rede, Mädchen, allzu liebes,
Tell me, my sweetest girl,
Das mir in die Brust, die kühle,
who with your glances
Hat geschleudert mit dem Blicke
have kindled in my cool breast
Diese wilden Glutgefühle!
these wild, passionate feelings!

Willst du nicht dein Herz erweichen,
Will you not relent, will you,
Willst du, eine Überfromme,
with an excess of virtue,
Rasten ohne traute Wonne,
live without love’s rapture,
Oder willst du, daß ich komme?
or do you wish me to come to you?

Rasten ohne traute Wonne,
To live without love’s rapture,
Nicht so bitter will ich büßen.
is a bitter fate I would not suffer.
Komme nur, du schwarzes Auge,
Come, then, with your dark eyes,
Komme, wenn die Sterne grüßen!
come, when the stars beckon!

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.

Performances

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