Text & Translation
Suleika und Hatem
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
An des lustgen Brunnens Rand,
Der in Wasserfäden spielt,
Wußt ich nicht, was fest mich hielt;
Doch da war von deiner Hand
Meine Chiffer leis gezogen,
Niederblickt ich, dir gewogen.
Hier, am Ende des Kanals
Der gereihten Hauptallee,
Blick ich wieder in die Höh,
Und da seh ich abermals
Meine Lettern fein gezogen:
Bleibe! bleibe mir gewogen!
Hatem:
Möge Wasser springend, wallend
Die Zypressen dir gestehn:
Von Suleika zu Suleika
Ist mein Kommen und mein Gehn.
Suleika and Hatem
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
At the rim of the merry fountain
Where threads of water play,
I lingered without knowing why;
But there, by your hand,
My initials had been gently traced,
I gazed down, in love with you.
Here, at the end of the tree-lined
Main avenue’s canal,
I gaze up again,
And there once more I see
My letters delicately traced:
Stay, O stay in love with me!
Hatem:
Let the surging, whirling water,
Let the cypresses avow:
From Suleika to Suleika
Is my coming and my going.
Suleika und Hatem
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Suleika and Hatem
English source:
Richard Stokes
Suleika:
Suleika:
An des lustgen Brunnens Rand,
At the rim of the merry fountain
Der in Wasserfäden spielt,
Where threads of water play,
Wußt ich nicht, was fest mich hielt;
I lingered without knowing why;
Doch da war von deiner Hand
But there, by your hand,
Meine Chiffer leis gezogen,
My initials had been gently traced,
Niederblickt ich, dir gewogen.
I gazed down, in love with you.
Hier, am Ende des Kanals
Here, at the end of the tree-lined
Der gereihten Hauptallee,
Main avenue’s canal,
Blick ich wieder in die Höh,
I gaze up again,
Und da seh ich abermals
And there once more I see
Meine Lettern fein gezogen:
My letters delicately traced:
Bleibe! bleibe mir gewogen!
Stay, O stay in love with me!
Hatem:
Hatem:
Möge Wasser springend, wallend
Let the surging, whirling water,
Die Zypressen dir gestehn:
Let the cypresses avow:
Von Suleika zu Suleika
From Suleika to Suleika
Ist mein Kommen und mein Gehn.
Is my coming and my going.
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
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…
Performances
Previously performed at:
- The Mendelssohns 24 Oct 2023
- 35. Schubert & Co.: A Schubertiade 20 Oct 2022