Songs

Wie lange schon war immer mein Verlangen

by Hugo Wolf From Italienisches Liederbuch

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This song was recorded live at the Oxford Lieder Festival as part of Hugo Wolf: The Complete Songs on Stone Records.
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Text & Translation

View IPA

Wie lange schon war immer mein Verlangen
German source: Paul Heyse

Wie lange schon war immer mein Verlangen:
Ach, wäre doch ein Musikus mir gut!
Nun liess der Herr mich meinen Wunsch erlangen
Und schickt mir einen, ganz wie Milch und Blut.
Da kommt er eben her mit sanfter Miene,
Und senkt den Kopf und spielt die Violine.

How long have I yearned
English translation © Richard Stokes

How long have I yearned
To have a musician as lover!
Now the Lord has granted me my wish,
And sends me one, all pink and white.
And here he comes with gentle mien,
And bows his head and plays the violin.

Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)

Wie lange schon war immer mein Verlangen
German source: Paul Heyse

How long have I yearned
English source: Richard Stokes

Wie lange schon war immer mein Verlangen:
How long have I yearned
Ach, wäre doch ein Musikus mir gut!
To have a musician as lover!
Nun liess der Herr mich meinen Wunsch erlangen
Now the Lord has granted me my wish,
Und schickt mir einen, ganz wie Milch und Blut.
And sends me one, all pink and white.
Da kommt er eben her mit sanfter Miene,
And here he comes with gentle mien,
Und senkt den Kopf und spielt die Violine.
And bows his head and plays the violin.

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

Paul Heyse

Paul Johann Ludwig von Heyse was a distinguished German writer and translator. A member of two important literary societies, the Tunnel über der Spree in Berlin and Die Krokodile in Munich, he wrote novels, poetry, 177 short stories, and about sixty…

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