Serenade: Liebliches Kind
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Kannst du mir sagen,
Sagen warum
Einsam und stumm
Zärtliche Seelen
Immer sich quälen,
Selbst sich betrüben
Und ihr Vergnügen
Immer nur ahnen
Da, wo sie nicht sind;
Kannst du mir’s sagen,
Liebliches Kind?
Serenade: Lovely Child
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Can you tell me,
Tell me why,
Lonely and silent,
Sensitive souls
Always agonise,
Always grieve,
And feel they’d be happier
Anywhere than where
They actually are;
Can you tell me,
Lovely child?
Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Serenade: Liebliches Kind
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Serenade: Lovely Child
English source:
Richard Stokes
Liebliches Kind,
Lovely child,
Kannst du mir sagen,
Can you tell me,
Sagen warum
Tell me why,
Einsam und stumm
Lonely and silent,
Zärtliche Seelen
Sensitive souls
Immer sich quälen,
Always agonise,
Selbst sich betrüben
Always grieve,
Und ihr Vergnügen
And feel they’d be happier
Immer nur ahnen
Anywhere than where
Da, wo sie nicht sind;
They actually are;
Kannst du mir’s sagen,
Can you tell me,
Liebliches Kind?
Lovely child?
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
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang Goethe was a German writer and statesman. His body of work includes epic and lyric poetry written in a variety of metres and styles; prose and verse dramas; memoirs; an autobiography; literary and aesthetic criticism; treatises on…