This song was recorded on the album 'Robert and Clara Schumann: Rückert Lieder' on Stone Records (in collaboration with BBC Music Magazine). Featuring every piano-accompanied setting of the poet Friedrich Rückert by both Robert and Clara Schumann, including duets and ensembles, it was recorded in preparation for Oxford Lieder's The Schumann Project in 2016.
Click here to listen to this song with Roderick Williams and Sholto Kynoch, or click here to buy the CD from Stone Records.
Schneeglöckchen
Es ging ein milder Wind,
Und plötzlich stand Schneeglöckchen da,
Das fremde blasse Kind.
Und plötzlich brach mit Pomp und Braus
Der alte Winter auf,
Die Wolken eilten pfeilgeschwind
Zum dunkeln Nord hinauf.
Eisscholle lief, Schneeflocke schmolz,
Die Stürme heulten drein,
Schneeglöckchen stand gesenkten Haupts
In dem Gewühl allein.
Ei komm! Du weisses Schwesterlein,
Wie lange willst du stehn?
Der Winter ruft, das Reich ist aus,
Wir müssen nach Hause gehn!
Und was nur rings auf Erden trägt
Die weisse Liverei,
Das schürze sich, das tummle sich
Zur Abfahrt schnell herbei!
Schneeglöckchen sah sich bebend an
Und dachte halb im Traum:
„Was soll um Winters Liverei
Der grüne, grüne Saum?
Wob ihn wohl um das weisse Kleid
Des Winters rauhe Hand?
Wo komm’ ich her? wo geh’ ich hin?
Wo ist mein Vaterland?“
Snowdrops
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
A gentle breeze blew,
And suddenly a snowdrop appeared,
A strange pale child.
And suddenly, amid pomp and clamour,
Old Winter set off on his travels,
Clouds scudded as swift as arrows
Away to the dark north.
Ice-floes drifted, snowflakes melted,
Storms went howling by,
The snowdrop stood with bowed head,
Alone amid the tumult.
Come, then! O little white sister,
How long will you stand there?
Winter announces the end of his reign,
We must now go home!
All things on earth
That wear his white cloak,
Should now be on guard
And make haste for a swift departure.
The snowdrop quivered and looked at itself,
And thought half in a dream:
Why is Winter’s cloak
Hemmed with vivid green?
Was it woven by Winter’s rough hand
Around the white cloak?
From where do I come? Where am I bound?
Where is my fatherland?
Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Schneeglöckchen
Snowdrops
English source:
Richard Stokes
Die Sonne sah die Erde an,
The sun looked at the earth,
Es ging ein milder Wind,
A gentle breeze blew,
Und plötzlich stand Schneeglöckchen da,
And suddenly a snowdrop appeared,
Das fremde blasse Kind.
A strange pale child.
Und plötzlich brach mit Pomp und Braus
And suddenly, amid pomp and clamour,
Der alte Winter auf,
Old Winter set off on his travels,
Die Wolken eilten pfeilgeschwind
Clouds scudded as swift as arrows
Zum dunkeln Nord hinauf.
Away to the dark north.
Eisscholle lief, Schneeflocke schmolz,
Ice-floes drifted, snowflakes melted,
Die Stürme heulten drein,
Storms went howling by,
Schneeglöckchen stand gesenkten Haupts
The snowdrop stood with bowed head,
In dem Gewühl allein.
Alone amid the tumult.
Ei komm! Du weisses Schwesterlein,
Come, then! O little white sister,
Wie lange willst du stehn?
How long will you stand there?
Der Winter ruft, das Reich ist aus,
Winter announces the end of his reign,
Wir müssen nach Hause gehn!
We must now go home!
Und was nur rings auf Erden trägt
All things on earth
Die weisse Liverei,
That wear his white cloak,
Das schürze sich, das tummle sich
Should now be on guard
Zur Abfahrt schnell herbei!
And make haste for a swift departure.
Schneeglöckchen sah sich bebend an
The snowdrop quivered and looked at itself,
Und dachte halb im Traum:
And thought half in a dream:
„Was soll um Winters Liverei
Why is Winter’s cloak
Der grüne, grüne Saum?
Hemmed with vivid green?
Wob ihn wohl um das weisse Kleid
Was it woven by Winter’s rough hand
Des Winters rauhe Hand?
Around the white cloak?
Wo komm’ ich her? wo geh’ ich hin?
From where do I come? Where am I bound?
Wo ist mein Vaterland?“
Where is my fatherland?
Composer
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann was a German composer and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career as a virtuoso pianist. He had been assured…