Songs
Zur Ruh, sur Ruh!
by Hugo Wolf From Sechs Gedichte von Scheffel, Mörike, Goethe und Kerner (1887) 1883-87
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 Thomas Hobbs and Sholto Kynoch, or click here to buy the CD from Stone Records.
Zur Ruh, sur Ruh!
German source:
Justinus Kerner
Ihr müden Glieder!
Schliesst fest euch zu,
Ihr Augenlider!
Ich bin allein,
Fort ist die Erde;
Nacht muss es sein,
Dass Licht mir werde.
O führt mich ganz,
Ihr innern Mächte!
Hin zu dem Glanz
Der tiefsten Nächte.
Fort aus dem Raum
Der Erdenschmerzen
Durch Nacht und Traum
Zum Mutterherzen!
To rest, to rest!
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
You weary limbs!
Close tight,
You eyelids!
I am alone,
The world is left behind;
Night must come
That I may find light.
O lead me on,
You inner powers!
To the radiance
Of the darkest nights.
Far away from earth
And its anguish
Through night and dream
To a mother’s heart!
Zur Ruh, sur Ruh!
German source:
Justinus Kerner
To rest, to rest!
English source:
Richard Stokes
Zur Ruh, zur Ruh,
To rest, to rest,
Ihr müden Glieder!
You weary limbs!
Schliesst fest euch zu,
Close tight,
Ihr Augenlider!
You eyelids!
Ich bin allein,
I am alone,
Fort ist die Erde;
The world is left behind;
Nacht muss es sein,
Night must come
Dass Licht mir werde.
That I may find light.
O führt mich ganz,
O lead me on,
Ihr innern Mächte!
You inner powers!
Hin zu dem Glanz
To the radiance
Der tiefsten Nächte.
Of the darkest nights.
Fort aus dem Raum
Far away from earth
Der Erdenschmerzen
And its anguish
Durch Nacht und Traum
Through night and dream
Zum Mutterherzen!
To a mother’s heart!
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
Justinus Kerner
Justinus Andreas Christian Kerner was a German poet, practicing physician, and medical writer. He was born at Ludwigsburg in Württemberg. After attending the classical schools of Ludwigsburg and Maulbronn, he was apprenticed in a cloth factory,…