Ständchen
German source:
Joseph von Eichendorff
Wolken scheint der Mond herfür,
Ein Student dort auf den Gassen
Singt vor seiner Liebsten Tür.
Und die Brunnen rauschen wieder
Durch die stille Einsamkeit,
Und der Wald vom Berge nieder,
Wie in alter, schöner Zeit.
So in meinen jungen Tagen
Hab ich manche Sommernacht
Auch die Laute hier geschlagen
Und manch lust'ges Lied erdacht.
Aber von der stillen Schwelle
Trugen sie mein Lieb zur Ruh,
Und du, fröhlicher Geselle,
Singe, sing nur immer zu!
Serenade
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Looks out across the roofs,
There in the street a student sings
Before his sweetheart’s door.
And again the fountains murmur
In the silent loneliness,
And the woods on the mountain
Murmur, as in good old times.
Likewise in my young days,
Often on a summer’s night
I too plucked my lute here,
And composed some merry songs.
But from that silent threshold
My love’s been taken to rest.
And you, my blithe friend,
Sing on, just sing on!
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Ständchen
German source:
Joseph von Eichendorff
Serenade
English source:
Richard Stokes
Auf die Dächer zwischen blassen
From pallid clouds the moon
Wolken scheint der Mond herfür,
Looks out across the roofs,
Ein Student dort auf den Gassen
There in the street a student sings
Singt vor seiner Liebsten Tür.
Before his sweetheart’s door.
Und die Brunnen rauschen wieder
And again the fountains murmur
Durch die stille Einsamkeit,
In the silent loneliness,
Und der Wald vom Berge nieder,
And the woods on the mountain
Wie in alter, schöner Zeit.
Murmur, as in good old times.
So in meinen jungen Tagen
Likewise in my young days,
Hab ich manche Sommernacht
Often on a summer’s night
Auch die Laute hier geschlagen
I too plucked my lute here,
Und manch lust'ges Lied erdacht.
And composed some merry songs.
Aber von der stillen Schwelle
But from that silent threshold
Trugen sie mein Lieb zur Ruh,
My love’s been taken to rest.
Und du, fröhlicher Geselle,
And you, my blithe friend,
Singe, sing nur immer zu!
Sing on, just sing on!
Composer
Erich Korngold
Erich Wolfgang Korngold was an Austrian-born composer and conductor, and a notable figure in the history of Hollywood as a composer for films. Read more here.
Poet
Joseph von Eichendorff
Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff was a German poet, novelist, playwright, literary critic, translator, and anthologist. Eichendorff was one of the major writers and critics of Romanticism. Ever since their publication and up to the present day, some…