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 Stephan Loges and Sholto Kynoch, click here to buy the CD from Stone Records.
Wo find ich Trost?
German source:
Eduard Mörike
War getreu, solang ich sie gefunden,
Hat mit tiefem Seufzen immer neu,
Stets versöhnlich, sich mit mir verbunden.
Welcher einst mit himmlischem Gedulden
Bitter bittern Todestropfen trank,
Hing am Kreuz und büsste mein Verschulden,
Bis es in ein Meer von Gnade sank.
Und was ists nun, dass ich traurig bin,
Dass ich angstvoll mich am Boden winde?
Frage: „Hüter, ist die Nacht bald hin?“
Und: „was rettet mich von Tod und Sünde?“
Arges Herze! ja gesteh es nur,
Du hast wieder böse Lust empfangen;
Frommer Liebe, frommer Treue Spur,
Ach, das ist auf lange nun vergangen.
Ja, dass ists auch, dass ich traurig bin,
Dass ich angstvoll mich am Boden winde!
Hüter, Hüter, ist die Nacht bald hin?
Und was rettet mich von Tod und Sünde?
Where shall I find comfort?
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
And has been since I first found it;
It has, deeply sighing, always forgivingly renewed,
Bonds between us.
He it was who once, with heavenly forbearance
Drank death’s bitter, bitter drops,
Hung on the cross and atoned for my sins
Until they sank in a sea of mercy.
And why is it that I am now sad,
That I writhe in terror on the ground?
That I ask: “Watchman, is the night soon done?”
And “What shall save me from death and sin?”
Evil heart! why not confess it,
Once more you have felt wicked desires;
All trace of pious love, of pious faith,
Has vanished, alas, for a long time.
Yes, that is why I am sad,
Why I writhe in terror on the ground!
Watchman, watchman, is the night soon done?
What shall save me from death and sin?
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
Wo find ich Trost?
German source:
Eduard Mörike
Where shall I find comfort?
English source:
Richard Stokes
Eine Liebe kenn ich, die ist treu,
I know a love that is true,
War getreu, solang ich sie gefunden,
And has been since I first found it;
Hat mit tiefem Seufzen immer neu,
It has, deeply sighing, always forgivingly renewed,
Stets versöhnlich, sich mit mir verbunden.
Bonds between us.
Welcher einst mit himmlischem Gedulden
He it was who once, with heavenly forbearance
Bitter bittern Todestropfen trank,
Drank death’s bitter, bitter drops,
Hing am Kreuz und büsste mein Verschulden,
Hung on the cross and atoned for my sins
Bis es in ein Meer von Gnade sank.
Until they sank in a sea of mercy.
Und was ists nun, dass ich traurig bin,
And why is it that I am now sad,
Dass ich angstvoll mich am Boden winde?
That I writhe in terror on the ground?
Frage: „Hüter, ist die Nacht bald hin?“
That I ask: “Watchman, is the night soon done?”
Und: „was rettet mich von Tod und Sünde?“
And “What shall save me from death and sin?”
Arges Herze! ja gesteh es nur,
Evil heart! why not confess it,
Du hast wieder böse Lust empfangen;
Once more you have felt wicked desires;
Frommer Liebe, frommer Treue Spur,
All trace of pious love, of pious faith,
Ach, das ist auf lange nun vergangen.
Has vanished, alas, for a long time.
Ja, dass ists auch, dass ich traurig bin,
Yes, that is why I am sad,
Dass ich angstvoll mich am Boden winde!
Why I writhe in terror on the ground!
Hüter, Hüter, ist die Nacht bald hin?
Watchman, watchman, is the night soon done?
Und was rettet mich von Tod und Sünde?
What shall save me from death and sin?
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
Eduard Mörike
Eduard Friedrich Mörike was a German Romantic poet. Mörike was born in Ludwigsburg. His father was Karl Friedrich Mörike (d. 1817), a district medical councilor; his mother was Charlotte Bayer. He attended the Latin school at Ludwigsburg, and the…