Gruss
Wherever I walk and gaze,
Through valley, wood and field,
From mountaintop to meadow,
I, lovely gracious lady,
Greet you a thousand times.
I seek out in my garden
Many fine and lovely flowers,
Weaving many garlands,
Binding a thousand thoughts
And greetings with them too.
I cannot give a garland
To her, so high and fine,
Which means that all must perish,
Only love without compare
Stays in the heart forever.
Seit ich ihn Gesehen
Since first seeing him,
I think I am blind,
Wherever I look,
Him only I see;
As in a waking dream
His image hovers before me,
Rising out of deepest darkness
Ever more brightly.
All else is dark and pale
Around me,
My sisters’ games
I no more long to share,
I would rather weep
Quietly in my room;
Since first seeing him,
I think I am blind.
Er, der Herrlichste von allen
He, the most wonderful of all,
How gentle and loving he is!
Sweet lips, bright eyes,
A clear mind and firm resolve.
Just as there in the deep-blue distance
That star gleams bright and brilliant,
So does he shine in my sky,
Bright and brilliant, distant and sublime.
Wander, wander on your way,
Just to gaze on your radiance,
Just to gaze on in humility,
To be but blissful and sad!
Do not heed my silent prayer,
Uttered for your happiness alone,
You shall never know me, lowly as I am,
You noble star of splendour!
Only the worthiest woman of all
May your choice elate,
And I shall bless that exalted one
Many thousands of times.
Then shall I rejoice and weep,
Blissful, blissful shall I be,
Even if my heart should break,
Break, O heart, what does it matter?
Ich kann’s nicht fassen, nicht glauben
I cannot grasp it, believe it,
A dream has beguiled me;
How, from all women, could he
Have exalted and favoured poor me?
He said, I thought,
‘I am yours forever’,
I was, I thought, still dreaming,
After all, it can never be.
O let me, dreaming, die,
Cradled on his breast;
Let me savour blissful death
In tears of endless joy.
Du Ring an meinem Finger
You ring on my finger,
My golden little ring,
I press you devoutly to my lips,
To my heart.
I had finished dreaming
Childhood’s peaceful dream,
I found myself alone, forlorn
In boundless desolation.
You ring on my finger,
You first taught me,
Opened my eyes
To life’s deep eternal worth.
I shall serve him, live for him,
Belong to him wholly,
Yield to him and find
Myself transfigured in his light.
You ring on my finger,
My golden little ring,
I press you devoutly to my lips,
To my heart.
Helft mir, ihr Schwestern
Help me, my sisters,
With my bridal attire,
Serve me today in my joy,
Busily braid
About my brow
The wreath of blossoming myrtle.
When with contentment
And joy in my heart
I lay in my beloved’s arms,
He still called,
With longing heart,
Impatiently for this day.
Help me, my sisters,
Help me banish
A foolish fearfulness;
So that I with bright eyes
May receive him,
The source of all my joy.
Have you, my love,
Really entered my life,
Do you, O sun, give me your glow?
Let me in reverence,
Let me in humility
Bow before my lord.
Scatter flowers, O sisters,
Scatter flowers before him,
Bring him budding roses.
But you, sisters,
I greet with sadness,
As I joyfully take leave of you.
Süsser Freund, du blickest
Sweet friend, you look
At me in wonder,
You cannot understand
How I can weep;
Let the unfamiliar beauty
Of these moist pearls
Tremble joyfully bright
In my eyes!
How anxious my heart is,
How full of bliss!
If only I knew
How to say it in words;
Come and hide your face
Here against my breast,
For me to whisper you
All my joy.
Do you now understand the tears
That I can weep,
Should you not see them,
Beloved husband?
Stay by my heart,
Feel how it beats,
That I may press you
Closer and closer.
Here by my bed
There is room for the cradle,
Silently hiding
My blissful dream;
The morning shall come
When the dream awakens,
And your likeness
Laughs up at me.
An meinem Herzen, an meiner Brust
On my heart, at my breast,
You my delight, my joy!
Happiness is love, love is happiness,
I’ve always said and say so still.
I thought myself rapturous,
But now am delirious with joy.
Only she who suckles, only she who loves
The child that she nourishes;
Only a mother knows
What it means to love and be happy.
Ah, how I pity the man
Who cannot feel a mother’s bliss!
You dear, dear angel, you,
You look at me and you smile!
On my heart, at my breast,
You my delight, my joy!
Nun hast du mir den ersten Schmerz getan
Now you have caused me my first pain,
But it struck hard,
You sleep, you harsh and pitiless man,
The sleep of death.
The deserted one stares ahead,
The world is void.
I have loved and I have lived,
And now my life is done.
Silently I withdraw into myself,
The veil falls,
There I have you and my lost happiness,
You, my world!
Abschiedslied der Zugvögel
How beautiful were forest and field!
How sad the world is now!
Beautiful summertime has gone,
And after joy sorrow has come.
We knew nothing of discomfort,
Beneath a leafy canopy we sat
Content and happy in the sun
And sang out into the world.
We poor birds are now so sad,
We no longer have a homeland,
We must now fly far away
Into distant lands.
Thank you to St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Kitchener for the use of their beautiful space as our recording venue. Thank you to Scott King for his audio and visual expertise, and assistance with recording the recital.