Songs

Wir haben viel füreinander gefühlt

by Heinrich Heine From Lyrisches Intermezzo (1823) 1822-1823

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Text & Translation

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Wir haben viel füreinander gefühlt
German source: Heinrich Heine

Wir haben viel füreinander gefühlt,
Und dennoch uns gar vortrefflich vertragen.
Wir haben oft „Mann und Frau“ gespielt,
Und dennoch uns nicht gerauft und geschlagen.
Wir haben zusammen gejauchzt und gescherzt,
Und zärtlich uns geküßt und geherzt.
Wir haben am Ende, aus kindischer Lust,
„Verstecken“ gespielt in Wäldern und Gründen,
Und haben uns so zu verstecken gewußt,
Daß wir uns nimmermehr wiederfinden.

Our love was so full, so happy our life
German translation © Hal Draper

Our love was so full, so happy our life,
So close to our hearts it was moulded,
How often we played at husband and wife,
Yet never quarrelled and scolded.
Our days were full of fun and jest,
We tenderly kissed and softly caressed –
And then, like children, we played at the game
Of hide-and-go-seek, and so skilful and clever
At hiding away we finally became
That now we are lost to each other forever.

Translations by Hal Draper published by Oxford University Press and Suhrkamp/Insel Verlag (1984)

Wir haben viel füreinander gefühlt
German source: Heinrich Heine

Our love was so full, so happy our life
German source: Hal Draper

Wir haben viel füreinander gefühlt,
Our love was so full, so happy our life,
Und dennoch uns gar vortrefflich vertragen.
So close to our hearts it was moulded,
Wir haben oft „Mann und Frau“ gespielt,
How often we played at husband and wife,
Und dennoch uns nicht gerauft und geschlagen.
Yet never quarrelled and scolded.
Wir haben zusammen gejauchzt und gescherzt,
Our days were full of fun and jest,
Und zärtlich uns geküßt und geherzt.
We tenderly kissed and softly caressed –
Wir haben am Ende, aus kindischer Lust,
And then, like children, we played at the game
„Verstecken“ gespielt in Wäldern und Gründen,
Of hide-and-go-seek, and so skilful and clever
Und haben uns so zu verstecken gewußt,
At hiding away we finally became
Daß wir uns nimmermehr wiederfinden.
That now we are lost to each other forever.

Composer

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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