Songs
Wer sein holdes Lieb verloren
by Hugo Wolf From Spanisches Liederbuch: Weltliche Lieder (1890)
This song was recorded live at the Oxford Lieder Festival as part of Hugo Wolf: The Complete Songs on Stone Records.
Click here to listen to this song with Marcus Farnsworth and Sholto Kynoch, or click here to buy the CD from Stone Records.
Wer sein holdes Lieb verloren
German source:
Emanuel Geibel
Weil er Liebe nicht versteht,
Besser wär’ er nie geboren.
Ich verlor sie dort im Garten,
Da sie Rosen brach und Blüten.
Hell auf ihren Wangen glühten
Scham und Lust in holder Zier.
Und von Liebe sprach sie mir;
Doch ich grösster aller Toren
Wusste keine Antwort ihr –
Wär’ ich nimmermehr geboren.
Ich verlor sie dort im Garten,
Da sie sprach von Liebesplagen,
Denn ich wagte nicht zu sagen,
Wie ich ganz ihr eigen bin.
In die Blumen sank sie hin,
Doch ich grösster aller Toren
Zog auch davon nicht Gewinn –
Wär’ ich nimmermehr geboren!
Whoever has lost his loved one
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Through not understanding love,
Would have done better not to be born.
I lost her in the garden there,
As she was picking roses and blossoms.
Her cheeks were glowing brightly,
Graced by modesty and joy.
And she spoke to me of love;
But I, the greatest of fools,
Knew not how to answer her –
Had I never been born.
I lost her in the garden there,
As she spoke of the pangs of love,
For I dared not tell her
How utterly I was hers.
She sank down among the flowers,
But I, the greatest of fools,
Gained nothing from that either –
Had I never been born!
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Wer sein holdes Lieb verloren
German source:
Emanuel Geibel
Whoever has lost his loved one
English source:
Richard Stokes
Wer sein holdes Lieb verloren,
Whoever has lost his loved one
Weil er Liebe nicht versteht,
Through not understanding love,
Besser wär’ er nie geboren.
Would have done better not to be born.
Ich verlor sie dort im Garten,
I lost her in the garden there,
Da sie Rosen brach und Blüten.
As she was picking roses and blossoms.
Hell auf ihren Wangen glühten
Her cheeks were glowing brightly,
Scham und Lust in holder Zier.
Graced by modesty and joy.
Und von Liebe sprach sie mir;
And she spoke to me of love;
Doch ich grösster aller Toren
But I, the greatest of fools,
Wusste keine Antwort ihr –
Knew not how to answer her –
Wär’ ich nimmermehr geboren.
Had I never been born.
Ich verlor sie dort im Garten,
I lost her in the garden there,
Da sie sprach von Liebesplagen,
As she spoke of the pangs of love,
Denn ich wagte nicht zu sagen,
For I dared not tell her
Wie ich ganz ihr eigen bin.
How utterly I was hers.
In die Blumen sank sie hin,
She sank down among the flowers,
Doch ich grösster aller Toren
But I, the greatest of fools,
Zog auch davon nicht Gewinn –
Gained nothing from that either –
Wär’ ich nimmermehr geboren!
Had I never been born!
Composer
Hugo Wolf
Hugo Filipp Jakob Wolf was born on 13 March 1860, the fourth of six surviving children, in Windischgraz, Styria, then part of the Austrian Empire. He was taught the piano and violin by his father at an early age and continued to study piano at the…
Poet
Emanuel Geibel
Emanuel von Geibel , German poet and playwright. He was born at Lübeck, the son of a pastor. He was originally intended for his father's profession and studied at Bonn and Berlin, but his real interests lay not in theology but in classical and…