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The Seventy-Third Season of

The William Nelson Cromwell and F. Lammot Belin

Concerts

National Gallery ofArt

3,020th Concert

Prague Philharmonic Choir 

Lukas Vasilek, Principal Conductor

October 31, 2014

Friday, 3:30 pm

West Building, West Garden Court

Admissionfree
Program

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)

Moravian Duets, op. 32 (selection)

The Slighted Heart

Parting without Sorrow

The Pledge of Love

The Maid Imprisoned

The Ring

Dvorak

Three Male Choruses on Folk Texts, op. 43

Sorrow

Wondrous Water

The Maiden in the Wood

Dvorak

In Nature’s Realm, op. 63 A song went into my soul

Evening Bells

The Rye Field

The Silver Birch

With Dance and Song

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Lieheslieder Waltzer, op. 52

Rede, Madchen 

Am Gesteine rauscht die Flut O die Frauen

Wie des Abends schone Rote

Die grime Hopfenranke

Ein kleiner, hubscher Vogel

Wohl schon bewandt war es

Wenn so lindt dein Auge mir

Am Donaustrande O wie sanft die Quelle

Nein, es ist nicht auszukommen

Schlosser auf, und mache Schlosser 

Vogelein durchrauscht die Luft

Sieh, wie ist die Quelle klar

Nachtigall, sie singt so schon 

Ein dunkler Schacht ist Liebe

Nicht wandle, mein Licht

Es bebet das Gestrauche
The Musicians

PRAGUE PHILHARMONIC CHOIR

The Prague Philharmonic Choir, a choral ensemble of about seventy members, has been performing and recording worldwide for seventy-nine years. 

Formed in 1935 by Jan Kuhn, it began as an amateur group called the Prague

Radiojoumal Choir (later the Czech Choir). In 1951 the group affiliated itself

with the Czech Philharmonic, and in 1990 it became an independent ensemble, leading to its stature today as one ofthe most popular choirs in Europe, 

regularly collaborating with international orchestras and conductors.

The Prague Philharmonic Choir performs a wide repertoire that focuses

primarily on a cappella, cantata, and oratorio works from classicism to the

present. Recently it has been invited to perform Renaissance and baroque

music in various chamber combinations. An important part ofthe choir’s

repertoire is opera, both in concert and more intimate settings. In addition,

the choir, with its distinctive, colorful sound and native Czech singers, is in

high demand for its performances ofboth Czech music and that ofother

Slavic composers.

The choir performs some ninety concerts a year, most ofthem abroad.

This season’s tour includes Paris, Berlin, Munich, Bad Kissingen, Lugano, 

Torino, Reggio, Mexico City, Washington, dc, New York, San Francisco, and

Los Angeles. Since 2010, the ensemble has been choir in residence at the

Opera Festival in Bregenz.

The choir’s first recording was of Dvorak’s Stabat Mater with the Czech

Philharmonic Orchestra and Vaclav Talich in 1952. Since then it has produced more than one hundred titles for a number of global companies.

The ensemble’s most recent CD (2012) featured choral compositions by

Leonard Bernstein, Zoltan Kodaly, and Leos Janacek and received outstanding reviews. The Prague Philharmonic Choir organizes its own choral

concerts in the Rudolfinum’s Dvorak Hall and in the former Church of

Saint Simon and Jude. The dramaturgy ofthese concerts focuses on modern

4

choral works, particularly on compositions from the twentieth century and

works by contemporary composers. At its last concert in June 2014, the

choir performed four Cantatas ofthe Highlands by Bohuslav Martinu in the

Rudolfinum’s Dvorak Hall.

LUKAS vasilek

Lukas Vasilek has been the principal conductor ofthe Prague Philharmonic

Choir since 2007. In addition to the preparation and management of

individual concerts, he leads the ensemble in large cantata, oratorio, and

opera projects, cooperating with the world’s leading conductors and orchestras. Since 2010 he has regularly performed with the choir at the Bregenzer

Festspiele opera festival. The performances ofthe Prague Philharmonic

Choir under his leadership are captured on numerous cds issued by

Deutsche Grammophon, Naxos, Neos, Oehms Classics, and Supraphon.

Vasilek graduated in conducting from the Academy of Performing Arts in

Prague and in musicology from the Faculty ofArts ofCharles University. From 

1998 to 2009 he was conductor ofthe Foerster Chamber Choir, which won

international choir competitions in Klaipeda (2003) and Vienna (2006). In

2005 he received the Junior Conductor award from the Czech Choral Union

for his achievements with the ensemble. At the same time, he was the second

choirmaster of Prague’s National Theatre opera ensemble, collaborating on

several operas. In 2010 he created a jazz vocal ensemble to accompany Bobby

McFerrin during his concerts in the Czech Republic. In the same year, he

established the Martinu Voices chamber choir, focusing on twentieth- and

twenty-first-century choral works. The ensemble performs under his leadership at notable music festivals, such as the Prague Spring, and records cds for 

major companies. Vasilek has also performed with several Czech symphony

orchestras, including Hradec Kralove Philharmonic Orchestra, South Czech 

Philharmonic, Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra, and North Czech Philharmonic.

5
Program Notes

Antonin Dvorak was born in Nelahozeves, a small Bohemian village near

Prague, into a family of amateur musicians. At an early age, church organist

Antonin Liehmann gave Dvorak lessons and encouraged him in his musical

development. The young Dvorak was expected to become a butcher like

his father, but with Liehmann’s help, he entered a school for organists in 

Prague. It was there that he met the composers Karel Bendl and Bedrich

Smetana and became a violinist for the Prague Provisional Theatre (the

temporary home ofthe National Theatre during its construction). He earned

additional income by giving private music lessons. It was in the mid-i87os,

while teaching in the home ofthe wealthy merchant Jan Neff, that Dvorak

began to arrange a collection of Moravian songs. Neff and his wife enjoyed

singing these songs with the composer at the piano. Dvorak took such

pleasure in this work that he began to compose entirely new music, setting

many pieces as duets, among them the three cycles of Moravian Duets. From

a total oftwenty-three duets with texts from Moravian folk poetry, today’s

program includes a selection from the largest group—opus 32—for female 

voices and piano. Between May and July 1876, Dvorak composed these duets

for soprano and alto, adding more songs later.

Dvorak composed Three Male Choruses on Folk Texts, op. 43, with fourhand piano, in December 1877 and the beginning ofJanuary 1878. The male 

choruses with piano were soon extended by Dvorak’s friend, the scholar 

of Indian and Czech studies Josef Zubaty, who created piano extracts from

Dvorak’s work and as a young man frequently performed Dvorak’s compositions. He also adapted the works for four-hand piano, and today’s version 

was published. There are two choruses from Slovak folk poetry, “Sorrow”

and “The Maiden in the Wood,” and one from Moravian literature, “Wondrous Water,” from the collection by Frantisek Susil.

Dvorak’s popular cycle offive mixed-voice choruses, In Nature’s Realm,

op. 63, was composed in January and February 1882 and uses the poetry of

Vitezslav Halek from his collection by the same name. Dvorak had already

come across Halek’s poetry when writing his earlier compositions, the

6

hymn “The Heirs ofthe White Mountain” and Evening Songs. He set the lyric

poems about nature to music in a way that reflects the various moods of

the seasons and at the same time distinguishes the compostions as unique

cappellas ofCzech origin at the close ofthe ninteenth century.

The composer, pianist, and conductor Johannes Brahms was born

into a family ofViennese musicians and at an early age learned to play the

piano, violoncello, and French horn. When he was seventeen, he became 

an accompanist to the famous Hungarian violinist Eduard Remenyi. It may

have been through this association that Brahms developed his interest in

irregular rhythms, rubato, and the sesquialtera (juxtaposition oftwo beats 

against three). The violinist Joseph Joachim introduced Brahms to Liszt, and 

Schumann and Brahms wrote several compositions in honor ofthis meeting. Brahms went on to become friends with both composers.

Brahms held several professional positions: court bandmaster in Detmold, choirmaster at Vienna’s voice academy, and conductor for the Association of Music Enthusiasts. He also performed throughout Europe. He

mentored Antonin Dvorak, helping him to launch his international career 

by recommending him to the publisher Simrock.

Brahms’s Liebeslieder Waltzer, op. 52, a cycle of eighteen waltzes for piano

four hands and four voices, uses Russian, Polish, and Hungarian folk texts

translated into German. The source ofthe texts was the Polydora collection,

published by the German poet and philosopher Georg Friedrich Daumer

(1800-1875). After the Viennese premiere in January 1870 the cycle became 

popular, inspiring Brahms to rearrange it again for piano two hands and 

voices, as well as arranging selected waltzes for the orchestra. The songs were

performed both in solo and by choruses, and later Brahms finished a second 

series published under the title Neue Liebeslieder (New Love Songs), op. 65.

Both cycles feature contrasting musical moods and witty texts full of energy,

irony, and gentle humor through which the composer conveys the various

forms oflove.

Program Notes by Jan Timer
Prague Philharmonic Choir

October 31, 2014

National Gallery ofArt

Texts and Translations

Selections from Moravian Duets, op. 32

Voda a plac

Okolo hajicka tece tam vodicka, 

napoj mne, panenko, meho konicka.

Ja ho nenapojim,

ja se tuze bojim, 

ze jsem malicka.

Pred nasimi okny roste tam oliva;

povez mne, panenko, kdo k vam

chodiva.

K nam zadny nechodi,

mne se kazdy boji,

ze jsem chudobna.

Pred nasimi okny roste

z ruze kvet.

povez mne, panenko,

proc te mrzi svet?

Mne svet nic nemrzi,

mne srdenko bob, 

plakala bych hned.

Holub na javore

Letel holubek na pole,

aby nazobal sve vole.

Jak sve volatko nazobal,

pod jaboreckem posedal.

Pod jaboreckem ma mila

zeleny satek vysiva.

Vysiva na nem vinecek,

ze ju opustil synecek.

Vysiva na nem z ruze kvet,

ze ju opustil cely svet,

vysiva na nem vinecek,

ze ju opustil synecek.

The Slighted Heart

Through the grove a brooklet flows in

leafy shade...

Wilt thou water my exhausted steed,

sweet maid?

I am but a child, Sir,

and your steed is wild, Sir,

and I am afraid.

Purple roses, clust'ring, half conceal

thy door...

Sweet maid, surely thou hast lovers

galore...

Young men come and go, Sir,

but none stay to woo, Sir,

and my heart is sore.

All around thy cottage Spring her

blossoms spread...

Tell me, then, sweet maiden, why art

thou so sad?

Ne'er have I known gladness;

wed to grief and sadness,

tears my heart would shed.

Parting without Sorrow

Down from her nest a wild dove flew

toward a field where the ripe com 

grew,

filled her crop, then sought her nest,

high in the willow, there to rest.

There sits and weeps a maid so fair.

Hot tears trill thro' her gold silken hair;

sits and broiders a wreath and two

rings.

"Forsaken am I!" she softly sings,

Embroiders a rose, and makes sweet

moan:

"How could he leave me to die alone!"
V

Sipek Pledge of Love

Slo devce na travu

na lucku zelenu.

Nemohlo ji nazat 

pro rosu studenu.

Po lucce chodilo,

zalostne plakalo.

Nadeslo tarn sipek,

na tym sipku kvitek.

Kvitku, mily kvitku,

ja tebe utrhnu.

There wasa bonnie lass

went to mow the meadow grass,

Dew fell so cold, alas!

she could not mow the grass.

Weeping, she turn'd away,

sad, she did homeward stray;

Down where the brooklet flows,

she spieda budding rose.

"Autumn's last rose so fair,

thou shalt adorn my hair!"

Netrhaj mnev zime,

moja krasa zhyne.

Netrhaj mnev lete,

dy slunecko pece.

Netrhaj mnev zime,

moja krasa zhyne.

Utrhni mnez jara,

moja krasa stala.

Cull'd neath cold winter's sky,

soon ev'ry rose must die

Neath summer sun's hot ray,

spare me, to livea day!

But when sweet spring is come,

cull me, and take me home!

But when sweet spring is come,

cull me, and take me home!

Zajata The Maid Imprisoned

Zalo devce, zalo travu

nedaleko vinohradu.

Pan sa na nu

z okna diva,

on si na nu ruku kyva

"Siruj, koci, siruj kone,

pojedeme

v cire pole."

Cire pole projizdzali, 

az sak devcati dostali.

Wenta maiden fair amaying,

o'er the summer meadows straying;

cut the grass hard by the vineyard...

In the distance stood the landlord;

came ariding o'er the meadows,

toward the evetide's deep'ning 

shadows;

till he stood beside the maiden,

by her cart with fresh grass laden:

"Daj nam, devce, daj nam zaloh,

zes na panskem travu zalo!"

Davala jim svu plachticku,

pan ju pojal za rucicku.

"Tis my land that thou art mowing 

hence

a forfeit thou art owing."

With no look did he rebuke her,

by the hand he fondly took her:

"Uz si, devce, uz si moje,

libi sa mne licko tvoje.

Tobe mojea mne tvoje,

libija sa nam oboje."

"Maid, thou art my captive," said he;

"Ifthou love me,I will wed thee!"

Quoth the maiden: "Ifthou love me,

marry me, andI will love thee. "

Prsten The Ring

Hraj, maziko, hraj, z cicha na Dunaj,

budem sa ubirat na mileho kraj. A vy, formane, sirujte kone, a vy, druzbove, sedajte, sedajte na ne!

Ztracila sem vinek,

muj zzlaty prstyneku mamicky mej. U mej matery v truhle zamceny,

cervenym jabuckem s mileho srdeckem zapecaceny.

Hraj, maziko, hraj, z cicha na Dunaj.

budem sa ubirat na mileho kraj.

Lads and lassies gay, singa merry lay,

gay as merry May,

love shall lead the way,

by the Danube river.

Harness horse and cart,

and away then start!

Do not wait for me, (sweet lasses,)

but at once depart! I have left my wreathlet 

and my golden ringlet,

at my love's behest, 

in my mother's chest

sealed with my love's heart!

Haste ye now away,

lads and lassies gay,

sing your merry lay,

gay as merry May,

love shall lead the way!
Three Male Choruses on Folk Texts

Op. 43

Zal

Travicka zelena, kadeja chodievam,

lebo ju ja casto slzami polievam.

Usta mi spievaju, oci sa mi smeju,

Ale od srdecka slzy sa mi leju.

Nie preto si spievam,

bych vesela bola ale preto spievam,

bych ziale zabola.

Ziale moje ziale smutne,

osirale, ako ta rosicka na zelenej trave;

jeste tu rosicku vetricek oduje a mna zarmucenu nik nepolutuje!

Divna voda

Na tom nasem dvore, to je voda, boze!

Kdo se ji napije, zapomnet nemoze.

Napil se ji, napil, pekny sohaj zrana;

nemohel zampomnet do svateho Jana.

Do svateho Jana, do svate Trojice

nemohel zapomnet sve svarne devcice.

Devcev haji

Videl som dievcatko po haji zelenom,

co mu tekly slzy po licku cervenom,

zalostno plakalai lomila ruce,

nemohla ukrotif svoje smutne srdce.

Ztratila som poklad od srdecka meho,

ako ta hrdlicka, co ztrati mileho,

ked' sa jei chce piti, leti na studnicku,

trepoce kridlama, zamuti vodicku.

English translations by Stephen Ackert 

and Robert Rehak

Sorrow

The grass on which

I walk is green

becauseI water it with my tears.

My mouth is singing, my eyes are

laughing,

But from my heart the tears are

streaming. I am singing to myself

Not becauseI want to be glad,

But

I am singing to myselfto forget

thatI am sad.

Sorrow,O my sorrow,

Only you are like the dew on green

grass;

the wind blows on the dew but my 

sorrow does not pass.

Wondrous Water

In our courtyard there is such waterOh, my God! Whoever will drink it

will never forget it. A youth drank ofit, drank in the early

morning;

and he could not forget it, even until

the feast of Saint John,

Until the feast of Saint John and the

Holy Trinity he could not forget his

beloved.

The Maiden in the Woods I saw a little girl in a green grove;

Tears spilled on her red cheek;

She wept in sorrow and wrung her 

hands.

She could not silence her sad heart. I lost the treasure from my beloved

’s

heart; like the dove who has lost her 

mate.

When she wants to drink, she flies to

the well; she troubles the water with

her wings.

V prirode

Vitezslav Halek (1835- 1874)

In Nature’s Realm, op. 63

English text by Harold Heiberg

Napadly pisne

v dusi mou,

nezavolany, znenadani,

jako kdyz rosy napada 

po steblokaderave strani.

A Song Went into My Soul

all ina moment it came unbidden.

You would not ask the grass to know

whence come the diamonds that bedew

it?

Kol se to miha perlami, i citim dech tak mlady, zdravy,

ze nevim, zda jsou radost ma,

ci plac me duse usedavy.

‘Round me the world grows still and

clear as Nature greets the new day’s

sunrise;

now beauty fills my soul with joy,

now tender sadness moistens my eyes.

Vsak rosu luna zrodila, a neni pisnim v dusi stani:

tekou cos last

a slza ma,

a den se chysta ku svitani.

Dew drops from moonlit sky appear;

and froma heart that’s filled with joy

and sorrow/ Come the songs we love to

hear,/ And thence comes all hope for

a

bright new morrow.

Vecerni les rozvazal zvonky a ptaci zvoni k tiche skrejsi,

kukacka zvoni na ty vetsi, a slavik na ty libeznejsi.

Evening Bells ring, evening is falling.

The birds of day are hushed and silent.

Only one cuckoo still is calling,

and deep in shadows nightingales sing.

Les kazdou vetev pisni kropi a kazdy listek jeho dite,

na nebes strop jim lampu vesi a stribrne z ni tahne nite.

Stirred by the west wind’s gentle

caressing,

The trembling leaves with dew drops

glimmer,

While through the trees moonlight is

pouring

to fill the woods with silver shimmer.

A kazda nit na konci spanek,

sny jako jiskryv stromech skaci,

jen lanka se sebe je strasa a pfed lesem se v rose mack

Nodding in slumber flowr’s are

dreaming,

Song birds are dreaming in the

treetops.

Ted’ usnuli

i zvonikove, 

les dychav prvnim zadrimnuti, 

a jestli slavik zaklokota,

to ze spanku je prokouknuti.

Only the timid doe still lingers

to drink ofthe crystalline dewdrops.

Now she is gone, and her departure 

leaves silence reigning in the forest;

Ted’ vsecko spi,i lanka drima,

i zvonky visi do vybdele,

noc kraci jako vseho dozvuk,

tak priroda si

k spanku stele.

Ah, let the distant nightingale sing,

for such beauty can trouble no rest.

Now even she has ceased her warbling.

Veiling the woodland, darkness has

spread.

Thus slowly all the realm ofNature 

is enfolded in quiet and peace.
Zitne pole, zitne pole The Rye Field

Zitne pole, zitne pole,

jak to zraje vesele!

Kazdy klasek muzikantem, 

klasu jak kdyz nastele.

Hedbavnym to satem susti,

vetrik

v skocnou zadupe,

slunce objimaa liba,

je ntov steblu zalupe.

Za motylkem vcelka septem,

zda kdo

v chrpe nevezi,

a ten cvrcek posmevacek s krepelickou pod mezi.

Zitne pole, zitne pole,

jak to zraje vesele,

a ma mysl jakov tanci,

jak kdyz pisni nastele.

Vybehla briza belicka

Vybehla briza belicka,

jak ze stada ta kozicka,

vybehla

z lesa na pokraj,

ze pry uz tahne jara baj.

Vybehla jako panenka,

Tak hebkaa tak do tenka,

ze az to lesem projelo, a vse se touhou zachvelo. A tahne sumem jara baj,

vzduch jak na housle, na salmaj,

vzduch sama vune, vzduch samy kvet, a mlady usmev cely svet.

Hned kazdy strom zeleny sat,

svatecne jme se oblikat, a kazda haluz, kazda snet

chce novou feci rozpravet. A jak by hodum zavolal,

prilitli hostez blizi dal,

a za den, za dva siry kraj, a cely svet byl jara baj.

Golden sunlight, golden sunlight

shines upon the rip’ning grain,

warm winds whisper in the cornfields,

harvest time has come again.

Flax and barley, toss’d by breezes, 

to and fro, toss’d by breezes 

and the kernels ofwheat and rye grow

heavy in the sunshine’s bright glow.

Yellow butterflies are dancing 

to the buzz ofbumblebees, 

whistling quail and chirping cricket

fill the air with melodies.

Golden sunshine, golden harvest,

wondrous world of golden hue,

this our song of harvest sunshine

joyously we sing to you.

The Silver Birch

Slender young birch, how straight you

grow,

green and silver, there on the hill,

banishing thoughts ofwinter snow,

promising rose and daffodil.

Birch tree, your feath

’ry robe of green

shyly bids the breezes to play;

whisp’ring, they tell ofthings they’ve

seen

while wand’ring through this April

day.

What could that magic tone have been,

sounding like shawm or violin? ‘Tis the enchanting carol ofspring

through all of Nature echoing.

Buds form and swell, leaflets unfold,

till all spring’s glory we behold,

while branches stir and gently wave,

joining in praise oftheir Maker.

Building their nests in ev’ry tree,

birds sing again their roundelay,

And all ofNature soon will be greeting

the lovely month of May.

Dnes do skoku

a do pisnicky With Dance and Song

Dnes do skokua do pisnicky!

Dnes prava veselka je bozi, 

dnes cely sveta vseckov parku 

se vedou k svatebnimu lozi.

Ve zvonku kvetnem musky tanci,

pod travou broucek kridla zveda, a vody sumi, lesy voni, a kdo je nema, srdce hleda.

Na nebi zapaluji svice,

na zapade panenske rdeni, a slavik jiz to ohlasuje,

ten velknez,u velebnem zneni.

Dnes velka kniha poesie 

az dokoran je otevrena,

dnes kazda struna vsehomiru 

na zerti pravdu natazena.

A nebe skvi se, vzduch se chveje,

dnesjedna pisen svetem leti,

dnes zema nebe jeden pohar,

a tvorstvo pri nem ve objeti.

This day was made for great rejoicing, 

this day is truly God’s creation!

The universe delight is voicing,

all Nature joins the celebration.

To watch the mayflies gaily dancing 

insects are perched on leaf and

blossom,

while through the forest brooks are

rushing,

filling with longing ev’ry bosom.

See how the heavens turn to crimson:

sunset’s flaming torches are burning.

Hear how the lovely nightingales sing

their rapt

’rous songs oflove and

yearning!

The world resounds with wondrous 

music

as each fulfils the joyous duty

of giving thanks for countless

blessings:

Peace and contentment, truth and

beauty.

Radiant in moonlight, glitt’ring with 

starlight,

glowing with rapture and emotion,

now earth and heav’n forma chalice;

drink ofthe boundlessjoy ofNature!
Liebeslieder Walzer

Georg Friedrich Daumer (1800-1875)

Rede, Madchen, allzu liebes,

das mir in die Brust, die kiihle,

hat geschleudert mit dem Blicke

diese wilden Glutgefuhle!

Willst du nicht dein Herz erweichen,

willst du, eine Uberffomme, 

rasten ohne traute Wonne,

oder willst du, daB ich komme?

Rasten ohne traute Wonne,

nicht so bitter will ich biiBen.

Komme nur, du schwarzes Auge.

Komme, wenn die Sterne griiBen.

Am Gesteine rauscht die Flut,

heftig angetrieben;

wer da nicht zu seufzen weiB,

lemt es unterm Lieben. O die Frauen, o die Frauen,

wie sie Wonne tauen!

Ware lang ein Monch geworden,

waren nicht die Frauen!

Wie des Abends schone Rote

mocht ich arme Dime gliihn,

Einem, Einem zu gefallen,

sonder Ende Wonne spriihn.

Die grime Hopfenranke,

sie schlangelt auf der Erde hin.

Die junge, schone Dime, 

so traurig ist ihr Sinn!

Du hore, grime Ranke!

Was hebst du dich nicht himmelwarts? 

Du hore, schone Dime!

Was ist so schwer dein Herz?

Wie hobe sich die Ranke,

der keine Stiitze Kraft verleiht?

Wie ware die Dime frohlich,

wenn ihr das Liebste weit?

Love-Song Waltzes

Speak, maiden, whom

I love all too

much, who hurled into my once aloof

heart, with only one glance,

these wild, ardent feelings!

Will you not soften your heart?

Do you wish to be chaste

and remain without sweet bliss,

or do you want me to come to you?

To remain without sweet bliss-

I would never make sucha bitter 

penance.

So come, dark-eyes,

come when the stars greet you.

Against the stones the stream rushes,

powerfully driven:

those who do not know to sigh there,

will learn it when they fall in love. O women, O women,

how they melt one with bliss! I would have become a monk long ago

ifit were not for women!

Like the evening's lovely red,

would I,a poor maiden, like to glow,

to please one, one boy

-

and to then radiate bliss forever.

The green hops vine

winds along the ground.

The young, fair maiden

-

so mournful are her thoughts!

Listen, green vine!

Why do you not raise yourself

heavenwards?

Listen, fair maiden!

Why is your heart so heavy?

How can the vine raise itself

when no support lends it strength?

How can the maiden be merry 

when her sweetheart is far away?

Ein kleiner, hiibscher Vogel

nahm den Flug

zum Garten hin,

da gab es Obst genug.

Wenn ich ein hiibscher,

kleiner Vogel war,

ich saumte nicht,

ich tate so wie der.

Leimruten-Arglist 

lauert an dem Ort;

der arme Vogel

konnte nicht mehr fort.

Wenn ich ein hiibscher,

kleiner Vogel war,

ich saumte doch,

ich tate nicht wie der.

Der Vogel kam

in eine schone Hand,

da tat es ihm,

dem Gliicklichen, nicht and.

Wenn ich ein hiibscher,

kleiner Vogel war,

ich saumte nicht,

ich tate doch wie der.

Wohl schon bewandt

War es vorehe 

Mit meinem Leben,

Mit meiner Liebe;

Durch eine Wand,

Ja durch zehn Wande,

Erkannte mich 

Des Freundes Sehe;

Doch jetzo, wehe,

Wenn ich dem Kalten

Auch noeh so dicht

Vor'm Auge stehe,

Es merkfs sein Auge,

Sein Herze nicht.

A small, pretty bird

took flight

into the garden-

there was fruit enough there.

IfI werea pretty,

small bird, I would not hesitate

-

I would do just as he did.

Malicious lime-twigs 

lurked in that place;

the poor bird

could not escape.

IfI werea pretty,

small bird, I would have hesitated, I would not have done that.

The bird came

intoa pretty girl's hand,

and it caused him no pain,

the lucky thing.

IfI werea pretty,

small bird, I would not hesitate

—

I would do just as he did.

Quite contented

was

I previously

with my life

and with my sweetheart;

througha wall,

yes, through ten walls,

did my friend's gaze

recognize me;

But now, oh woe,

ifI am with that cold boy,

no matter how close I stand before his eyes,

neither his eyes

nor his heart notices.
Wenn so lind dein Auge mir

und so lieblich schauet,

jede letze Triibe flieht

welche mich umgrauet.

When your eyes look at me

so gently and lovingly,

you chase away every last anxiety

that troubles my life.

Dieser Liebe schone Glut,

laB sie nicht verstieben!

Nimmer wird, wie ich, so treu

dich ein andrer lieben.

The lovely glow ofthis love-

do not let it disappear!

No one else will ever love you

as faithfully as I.

Am Donaustrande,

da steht ein Haus,

da schaut ein rosiges

Madchen aus.

On the banks of the Danube,

there standsa house,

and looking out ofit

isa pink-cheeked maiden.

Das Madchen,

es ist wohl gut gehegt,

zehn eiseme Riegel

sind vor die Tiire gelegt.

The maiden

is very well-protected:

ten iron bolts

have been placed on the door.

Zehn eiseme Riegel

das ist ein SpaB;

die spreng ich

als waren sie nur von Glas.

But ten iron bolts 

are buta joke;

I will snap them

as ifthey were only glass.

O wie sanft die Quelle

sieh durch die Wiese windet! O wie schon, wenn Liebe sieh

zu der Liebe findet!

O how gently the stream

winds through the meadow! 0 how lovely it is when Love

finds Love!

Nein, es ist nicht auszukommen

mit den Leuten;

Alles wissen sie so giftig

auszudeuten.

No, there's just no getting along

with people;

they always make such poisonous 

interpretations of everything.

Bin ich heiter, hegen soil ich

lose Triebe;

bin ich still, so heiBts, ich ware

irr aus Liebe.

If I'm merry, they sayI cherish

wild abandon;

ifI'm quiet, they say I am crazed with love.

Schlosser auf, und mache Schlosser,

Schlosser ohne Zahl;

denn die bosen Mauler will ich

schlieBen allzumal.

Locksmith- get up and make your

locks,

locks without number;

forI want to lock up

all the evil mouths.

Vogelein durchrauscht die Luft,

sucht nach einem Aste;

und das Herz, ein Herz, ein Herz

begehrt's,

wo es selig raste.

Sieh, wie ist die Quelle klar,

blickt der Mond hernieder!

Die du meine Liebe bist,

liebe du mich wieder!

Nachtigall, sie singt so schon,

wenn die Steme funkeln.

Liebe mich, geliebtes Herz,

kiisse mich im Dunkeln!

Ein dunkler Schacht ist Liebe,

ein gar zu gefahrlicher Bronnen;

da fiel ich hinein, ich Armer,

kann weder horen noch sehn,

nur denken an meine Wonnen,

nur stohnen in meinen Wehn.

Nicht wandle, mein Licht, dort auBen

im Flurbereich!

Die FiiBe wiirden dir, die zarten,

zu naB, zu weich.

All uberstromt sind dort die Wege,

die Stege dir;

so uberreichlich trante dorten

das Auge mir.

Es bebet das Gestrauche,

gestreift hat es im Fluge

ein Vogelein.

In gleicher Art erbebet

die Seele mir, erschiittert

von Liebe, Lust und Leide,

gedenkt sie dein.

The little bird rushes through the

air,

searching fora branch;

and my heart desiresa heart,a heart

on which it can blessedly rest.

See how clear the spring is

when the moon gazes down!

You who are my love,

you love me back!

The nightingale sings so beautifully,

when the stars are twinkling.

Love me, my beloved heart,

kiss me in the dark!

Love isa dark shaft,

a very dangerous well;

and I, poor man, fell in. I can neither hear nor see, I can only think about my bliss, I can only moan in my woe.

Do not wander, my light,

out there in the field!

Your feet, your tender feet, would get

too wet, too soft.

All flooded are the paths there,

and the bridges,

so profusely there 

did my eyes weep.

The bushes are trembling;

they were brushed bya

little bird in flight.

In the same way,

my soul trembles,

overcome by love, pleasure and

sorrow,

as it thinks of you.