Songs

Wonne der Wehmut

by Franz Schubert

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Text & Translation

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Wonne der Wehmut
German source: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Trocknet nicht, trocknet nicht,
Tränen der ewigen Liebe!
Ach, nur dem halbgetrockneten Auge 
Wie öde, wie tot die Welt ihm erscheint! 
Trocknet nicht, trocknet nicht,
Tränen unglücklicher Liebe!

Delight in Melancholy
English translation © Richard Wigmore

Do not grow dry, do not grow dry,
tears of eternal love!
Ah, even when the eye is but half dry
how desolate, how dead the world appears! 
Do not grow dry, do not grow dry,
tears of unhappy love!

Wonne der Wehmut
German source: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Delight in Melancholy
English source: Richard Wigmore

Trocknet nicht, trocknet nicht,
Do not grow dry, do not grow dry,
Tränen der ewigen Liebe!
tears of eternal love!
Ach, nur dem halbgetrockneten Auge 
Ah, even when the eye is but half dry
Wie öde, wie tot die Welt ihm erscheint! 
how desolate, how dead the world appears! 
Trocknet nicht, trocknet nicht,
Do not grow dry, do not grow dry,
Tränen unglücklicher Liebe!
tears of unhappy love!

Composer

Franz Schubert

Franz Peter Schubert was an late Classical and early Romantic composer. He produced a vast oeuvre during his short life, composing more the 600 vocal works (largely Lieder), and well as several symphonies, operas, and a large body of piano music. He…

Poet

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Johann Wolfgang Goethe was a German writer and statesman. His body of work includes epic and lyric poetry written in a variety of metres and styles; prose and verse dramas; memoirs; an autobiography; literary and aesthetic criticism; treatises on…

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