Stille Tränen
German source:
Justinus Kerner
Und wandelst durch die Au’,
Da liegt ob allen Landen
Der Himmel wunderblau.
So lang du ohne Sorgen
Geschlummert schmerzenlos,
Der Himmel bis zum Morgen
Viel Tränen niedergoss.
In stillen Nächten weinet
Oft mancher aus den Schmerz,
Und morgens dann ihr meinet,
Stets fröhlich sei sein Herz.
Silent Tears
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
And walk through the meadow.
Everywhere lies
Heaven’s wondrous blue.
As long as, free of care, you have
Been slumbering, free of pain,
Heaven has, till morning,
Poured down many tears.
Often on silent nights
Many a man weeps his grief away,
And in the morning you imagine
His heart is ever happy.
Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Stille Tränen
German source:
Justinus Kerner
Silent Tears
English source:
Richard Stokes
Du bist vom Schlaf erstanden
From sleep you have risen
Und wandelst durch die Au’,
And walk through the meadow.
Da liegt ob allen Landen
Everywhere lies
Der Himmel wunderblau.
Heaven’s wondrous blue.
So lang du ohne Sorgen
As long as, free of care, you have
Geschlummert schmerzenlos,
Been slumbering, free of pain,
Der Himmel bis zum Morgen
Heaven has, till morning,
Viel Tränen niedergoss.
Poured down many tears.
In stillen Nächten weinet
Often on silent nights
Oft mancher aus den Schmerz,
Many a man weeps his grief away,
Und morgens dann ihr meinet,
And in the morning you imagine
Stets fröhlich sei sein Herz.
His heart is ever happy.
Composer
Maude Valérie White
In 1903, respected critic J. A. Fuller Maitland declared Maude Valérie White’s songs to be ‘known and loved everywhere the English language is spoken’. Passionate and emotionally ‘unashamed’, White developed a distinctive musical voice, especially…
Poet
Justinus Kerner
Justinus Andreas Christian Kerner was a German poet, practicing physician, and medical writer. He was born at Ludwigsburg in Württemberg. After attending the classical schools of Ludwigsburg and Maulbronn, he was apprenticed in a cloth factory,…