Schwanenlied
German source:
Heinrich Heine
Aus seiner funkelnden Höh,
Das ist der Stern der Liebe,
Den ich dort fallen seh.
Es fallen vom Apfelbaume,
Der weissen Blätter so viel,
Es kommen die neckenden Lüfte,
Und treiben damit ihr Spiel.
Es singt der Schwan im Weiher,
Und rudert auf und ab,
Und immer leiser singend,
Taucht er ins Flutengrab.
Es ist so still und dunkel,
Verweht ist Blatt und Blüt’,
Der Stern ist knisternd zerstoben,
Verklungen das Schwanenlied.
Swansong
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
From its glittering height,
That is the star of love
I see falling there.
The apple tree sheds
A host of white leaves,
Cajoling breezes come along
And play with them.
A swan sings on the lake,
Gliding to and fro,
And singing ever more softly
Dives into its watery grave.
It is so silent and dark,
Blossom and leaf have dispersed,
The star has guttered and gone out,
The song of the swan has faded away.
Schwanenlied
German source:
Heinrich Heine
Swansong
English source:
Richard Stokes
Es fällt ein Stern herunter
A star falls to earth
Aus seiner funkelnden Höh,
From its glittering height,
Das ist der Stern der Liebe,
That is the star of love
Den ich dort fallen seh.
I see falling there.
Es fallen vom Apfelbaume,
The apple tree sheds
Der weissen Blätter so viel,
A host of white leaves,
Es kommen die neckenden Lüfte,
Cajoling breezes come along
Und treiben damit ihr Spiel.
And play with them.
Es singt der Schwan im Weiher,
A swan sings on the lake,
Und rudert auf und ab,
Gliding to and fro,
Und immer leiser singend,
And singing ever more softly
Taucht er ins Flutengrab.
Dives into its watery grave.
Es ist so still und dunkel,
It is so silent and dark,
Verweht ist Blatt und Blüt’,
Blossom and leaf have dispersed,
Der Stern ist knisternd zerstoben,
The star has guttered and gone out,
Verklungen das Schwanenlied.
The song of the swan has faded away.
Composer
Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel
Fanny Hensel, née Mendelssohn (1805-47), was an exceptionally gifted musician whose potential was stifled by the gendered social conventions of her upper-middle-class background in mid-19th-century Berlin. She came from a wealthy and cultivated…
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…