Franz Schubert: Schwanengesang

 Previously unpublished; © the estate of eric sams


 

1. Liebesbotschaft (Rellstab)

 

A message of love

                                                    

Murmuring brook, so silver and bright, are you running to my sweetheart so cheerfully and so fast? Oh, my dear brook, be my messenger, bring her greetings from her lover far away.

 

All the flowers that she tends in her garden and wears so sweetly at her breast, and her roses in their crimson glow; all these, dear brook, you must refresh with your cooling waters, refresh with your cooling waters.

 

When she comes to your banks rapt in dreams and with bowed head, thinking of me, you must comfort the sweet girl with a friendly look and tell her that her lover will soon be back; yes, comfort her with a friendly look and say I shall soon be back.

 

When the sun sets in its rose-red radiance, lull my darling asleep; sing her into sweet slumbers, and whisper dreams of love to her; whisper dreams of love to her.

 

 

2. Der Kriegers Ahnung (Rellstab)

 

The soldier's foreboding

 

My comrades in arms lie all around me, fast asleep. My heart is so fearful and heavy, so fearful, so heavy, and so aflame with longing, so aflame with longing.

 

How often I have dreamed so sweetly on her warm breast, on her warm breast; how friendly the hearth-fire shone when she lay in my arms, when she lay in my arms.

 

Here, where the sombre glow of the camp-fire gleams only on weapons, alas, here the heart feels all alone, the heart feels all alone, and sorrowful tears flow, sorrowful tears flow.

 

But let not comfort fail you, my heart, let not comfort fail you; many a battle calls me. Before long, I too shall rest well and sleep sound. My dearest love, goodnight; my dearest love, goodnight. So let not comfort fail you, my heart, let not comfort fail you. Before long, I too shall rest well and sleep sound. Goodnight, my dearest love; goodnight, my dearest; goodnight.

 

 

3. Frühlingssehnsucht (Rellstab)

 

Longing in springtime

 

Sighing breezes are breathing so gently, filled with the fragrance of flowers; sighing breezes are breathing so gently, filled with the fragrance of flowers. How blissfully you greet me. But what have you done to my pounding heart? It yearns to fly with you on your airy path; tell me where? where?

 

Brooks, all flowing so merrily, you want to pour your silver into the valley; brooks, all flowing so merrily, you want to pour your silver into the valley. There they run, the rippling waters, with meadows and skies mirrored deep within them. But what is this longing and languishing desire that draws me, this longing and languishing desire that draws me downward, downward?

 

Glittering gold of the sunlight that greets me, you too gently bring the bliss of hope; glittering gold of the sunlight that greets me, you too bring the bliss of hope. How your welcoming rays bless and refresh me; the deep blue sky wears a sweet smile, and yet the sight has filled my eyes with tears, the sight has filled my eyes with tears. Why, why?

 

Forests and hills are garlanded in green, the snowy blossoms shine and gleam; forests and hills are garlanded in green, the snowy blossoms shine and gleam. So the whole world dons its bridal finery; the seeds swell and the buds burgeon. They have found at last what they lacked so long, they have found at last what they lacked so long. Have you? have you?     

 

In its restless yearning my frustrated heart knows only tears, laments and grief; in its restless yearning my frustrated heart knows only tears, laments and grief. My own feelings grow and flower; who at last will lighten my longing? Only you can release the springtime in my heart; only you can release the springtime in my heart; only you, only you.

 

 

4. Ständchen (Rellstab)

 

Serenade

 

Softly my songs go pleading to you through the night to you; down into the silent grove, dearest, come to me.

 

Slender tree-tops rustle and whisper in the moonlight, in the moonlight; don't be afraid of being overheard by any hostile betrayer, my darling, don't be afraid, my darling. 

 

Do you hear the nightingales trilling? Oh, they are imploring you. With their sweetly lamenting tones they are pleading my cause.

 

They understand the soul's longing, they know the pains of love, know the pains of love; with their silver sounds they touch every tender heart, every tender heart.

 

Let your heart too be moved; sweetheart, hear my song. Trembling I await you; come and reward me, come and reward me, reward me.

 

 

5. Aufenthalt (Rellstab)

 

Dwelling Place

 

Raging torrent, roaring forest, towering rock, these are my dwelling place; raging torrent, roaring forest, towering rock, my dwelling place.

 

As wave follows wave, so my tears flow, ever renewed, so my tears flow, ever, ever renewed, so my tears flow, ever renewed.

 

As the tree-tops thresh and ply, so ceaselessly my heart beats, as the tree-tops thresh and ply, so ceaselessly my heart beats, so ceaselessly my heart beats.

 

And like the age-old heart of the rock my pain stays always the same, my pain stays always the same, my pain stays always the same.

 

Raging torrent, roaring forest, towering rock, these are my dwelling place; raging torrent, roaring forest, towering rock, raging torrent,  roaring forest, my dwelling place.

 

 

6. In der Ferne (Rellstab)

 

Far Away

                                                 

Woe to the fugitive who journeys afar and forsakes the world. Those who travel in foreign parts, forgetting their native land, hating their own home, abandoning their friends - alas, no blessing follows them on their paths, on their paths.

 

Instead they have yearning in their hearts, tears in their eyes, an endless longing to turn again for home and a deep unease in their minds as their laments die away in the distance and the evening star that once gleamed above now sinks hopelessly down, hopelessly down.

 

You murmuring breezes, you softly curling waves, you hurrying sunbeams that never tarry anywhere, greet her who alas broke the true heart of this fugitive who now journeys afar and forsakes the world. You murmuring breezes, you softly curling waves, you hurrying sunbeams that never tarry anywhere, greet her who alas broke the true heart of this fugitive who now journeys afar and forsakes the world.

 

 

7. Abschied (Rellstab)

 

Farewell

 

       Adieu, you lively and cheerful town, adieu. Already my horse is stamping impatiently, so accept my final farewell. You have never yet seen me sad; nor shall you now, at parting, nor shall you now, at parting. Adieu, you lively and cheerful town, adieu.

 

       Adieu, you trees, and you gardens so green, adieu. Now I'm riding alongside the silver stream, and my farewell songs echo far and wide. You have never heard a mournful melody from me, and none shall be offered you now as I depart, none shall be offered you now as I depart. Adieu, you trees, and you gardens so green, adieu.

 

       Adieu, you friendly girls who live here, adieu. Why do you look out of your flower-scented houses with roguish tempting glances? As ever, I wave and turn my head, but without ever turning my horse, without ever turning my horse. Adieu, you friendly girls who live here, adieu.

 

       Adieu, dear sun, as you go to rest, adieu. Now the twinkling stars shimmer golden above. How I love you, sweet stars of heaven; however far and wide we roam through the world, you faithfully escort us wherever we go, you faithfully escort us wherever we go. Adieu, dear sun, as you go to rest, adieu.

 

       Adieu, you bright shining window, adieu. You shine so cosily with you glimmering light and invite us so kindly into the cottage. I have ridden past, alas, so many times, and today too, even though it may be the last time. Adieu, you bright shining window, adieu. 

 

       Adieu, you stars; hide your light in a veil of grey. Adieu. Even you myriad stars cannot replace the sadly fading light of that one window. I cannot linger here, I must ride past; there is no help for it, however faithfully you follow. So adieu, you stars; hide your light in a veil of grey. Adieu.

 

 

8. Der Atlas (Heine)

 

Atlas

 

        I am a hapless Atlas, a hapless Atlas who must bear a world, the whole world of sorrows, the whole world. I bear the unbearable, and my heart threatens to break in my breast.

 

        You proud heart, you yourself willed it so. You yearned to be happy, infinitely happy, or infinitely wretched, or infinitely wretched, proud heart; and now you are wretched.

 

        I am a hapless Atlas, a hapless Atlas who must bear the whole world of sorrows, must bear the whole world, must bear the whole world of sorrows.

 

 

9. Ihr Bild (Heine)

 

Her Picture

 

As I stood in dark dreams and stared at her picture, her beloved face mysteriously came to life.

 

A wondrous smile played around her lips, and her two eyes glistened as if with tears of sorrow.

 

My own tears too flowed down my cheeks. Oh, I cannot believe that I have lost you.

 

 

10. Das Fischermädchen (Heine)

 

The Fisher Girl

 

          You lovely fisher girl, steer your boat ashore. Then come and sit beside me, we'll bill and coo, hand in hand; come and sit beside me, we'll bill and coo, hand in hand.

 

          Lay your head on my heart and don't be too afraid. After all, you don't worry about entrusting yourself to the wild sea every day: you don't worry about entrusting yourself to the wild sea every day.

 

          My heart is just like the sea; it too knows storm and ebb and flood, and many a lovely pearl lies hidden in its depths, many a lovely  pearl lies hidden in its depths.

 

 

11. Die Stadt (Heine)

 

The Town

 

On the far horizon, like a wreath of mist, the town and its towers are seen veiled in evening twilight. 

 

A rainy breeze ruffles the grey surface of the sea, the boatman in my skiff rows with weary strokes.

 

Once more the sun rises radiant from the earth and shows me the  place where I lost my dearest love.

 

 

12. Am Meere (Heine)

 

By the Sea

 

The sea shone for miles in the last light of sunset. We sat by the fisherman's lonely hut, we sat silent and alone.

 

The mist lifted, the waters swelled, the seagull flew to and fro; and tears welled from your loving eyes.

 

I saw them fall on your hand; I knelt before you and from your white hand I sipped those tears. 

 

Ever since then my body wastes away, my soul dies of longing; the unhappy woman has poisoned me with her tears.

 

 

13. Der Doppelgänger (Heine)

 

The Ghostly Double

 

       The night is silent, the streets are at rest. Here is the house where my sweetheart used to live. She left the town long ago, but the house still stands in the same place.

 

       And there stands a man staring upwards and wringing his hands in agony. As I see his face, I shudder; the moon shows me my own self.

 

       You ghostly double, you pale companion, why are you aping the pangs of love that plagued me in this very place so many a night in time long past?

 

 

14. Die Taubenpost (Seidl)

 

Pigeon Post

 

I have a carrier pigeon in my pay, and it's always obedient and dutiful. It has never yet stopped too short or flown past its destination. I send it out on reconnaissance flights thousand of times a day, over many a well-loved place, as far as my darling's house, as far as my darling's house.

 

There it secretly peeps in at the window and watches her every step; light-heartedly it gives her my greetings and brings hers back to me. I have no more need to write letters, I can send the teardrops direct; my pigeon will never misdeliver them, such is its zeal to serve me, its zeal to serve me.

 

By day, by night, awake or in dream, that's all one to my pigeon; so long as it can fly, just fly, then it's more than happy. It never tires or flags, it finds the journey always new, it needs no bribe or reward, so devoted it is to me, so devoted to me.

 

So my heart cherishes it tenderly, sure that it will always render the most reliable service. Its name is - love-longing. Do you know it? do you know it? - the most faithful of messengers, by far the most faithful of all messengers. So my heart cherishes it tenderly, sure that it will always render the most reliable service. Its name is - love-longing. Do you know it? do you know it? - the most faithful of messengers, by far the most faithful of all messengers.