Songs

Was will die einsame Träne (Strophe 3)

by Felix Mendelssohn, arranged Aribert Reimann From ... oder soll es Tod bedeuten? ...

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Text & Translation

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Was will die einsame Träne (Strophe 3)
German source: Heinrich Heine

Ach, meine Liebe selber
Zerfloß wie eitel Hauch!
Du alte, einsame Träne,
Zerfließe du jetzt auch!

Why this solitary tear?
English translation © Richard Stokes

Ah, my love itself
Vanished like a mere breath of air!
Old, solitary tear,
Vanish now as well!

Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)

Was will die einsame Träne (Strophe 3)
German source: Heinrich Heine

Why this solitary tear?
English source: Richard Stokes

Ach, meine Liebe selber
Ah, my love itself
Zerfloß wie eitel Hauch!
Vanished like a mere breath of air!
Du alte, einsame Träne,
Old, solitary tear,
Zerfließe du jetzt auch!
Vanish now as well!

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…

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