Goethe

Goethe’s Last Words
"Open the second shutter so that more light may come in" became the more sublime, "More light!" (There is, as with many last words, some debate. Goethe's last words may in fact have been, "Come my little one, and give me your paw.")

Goethe’s exquisite lyrical poems, often inspired by existing songs, challenged contemporary composers to give their best in music, and such songs as “Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt” [only the lonely heart], “Kennst du das Land” [know’st thou the land],

Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt
Weiß, was ich leide!
Allein und abgetrennt
Von aller Freude,
Seh ich [ans]1 Firmament
Nach jener Seite.

Ach! der mich liebt und kennt,
Ist in der Weite.
Es schwindelt mir, es brennt
Mein Eingeweide.
Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt
Weiß, was ich leide!

English by Lawrence Snyder

Only one who knows longing
Knows what I suffer!
Alone and cut off
From all joy,
I look into the firmament
In that direction.

Ach! he who loves and knows me
Is far away.
I am reeling,
My entrails are burning.
Only one who knows longing
Knows what I suffer!
____________________
Another English Translation

None but the lonely heart
Can know my sadness
Alone and parted
Far from joy and gladness
Heaven's boundless arch I see
Spread about above me
O what a distance dear to one
Who loves me
None but the lonely heart
Can know my sadness
Alone and parted
Far from joy and gladness
Alone and parted far
From joy and gladness
My senses fail
A burning fire
Devours me
None but the lonely heart
Can know my sadness
___________________

None but the weary heart
Music by Tchaikovsky

English translation. aka "None but the lonely heart"

None but the weary heart
Can know this anguish,
Alone and far apart
I faint and languish.

Upon the firmament
I gaze and wonder,
Ah, from my heart's belov'd
I dwell asunder.

None but the weary heart
Can know this anguish,
Alone and far apart
I faint and languish.

Alone from all thy love
I dwell asunder.

My spirit fails,
A burning fire consumes me.
None but the weary heart
Can know this anguish.

Labels: poetry

[permalink][comment] - posted by Mez @ 6/25/2003 12:01:00 am