Melancholy
(Poet's title: Wehmut)
Set by Schubert:
D 825
for TTBB[1826]
Die Abendglocke tönet,
Vom Himmel sinkt die Ruh;
Das Auge grambetränet
Nur schließet sich nicht zu.
Dass meine Jugend fliehet
Allein und ungeliebt,
Dass jeder Kranz verblühet,
Das ist, was mich betrübt.
Und als ich sie gefunden,
War Herz und Welt nur Lust,
Und seit sie mir entschwunden,
Ist Atmen ein Verlust.
Der Strom, aus Felsen quillend,
Die Berge lieben nicht.
Nur’s arme Herz, das fühlend,
So leicht von Kummer bricht.
O töne, sanft Geläute,
Ins stille Tal hinab,
Der Morgen deckt das Heute,
Den Gram das Grabeshaus.
The evening chimes are ringing out,
Calm is descending from heaven;
My eyes are full of tears caused by grief
And they will not close now.
The fact that my youth is escaping
Alone and unloved,
The fact that every wreath is wilting
That is what is disturbing me.
And when I found her,
My heart and the world were nothing but delight,
And since she has gone from me
Breathing has been a waste of energy.
The stream that swells up out of the rocks
Is not something that the mountains love;
It is just my poor, feeling heart
That breaks so easily because of sorrow.
Oh ring out, gentle bells,
Down into the quiet valley.
Tomorrow covers today,
The tomb covers grief.
All translations into English that appear on this website, unless otherwise stated, are by Malcolm Wren. You are free to use them on condition that you acknowledge Malcolm Wren as the translator and schubertsong.uk as the source. Unless otherwise stated, the comments and essays that appear after the texts and translations are by Malcolm Wren and are © Copyright.
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Themes and images in this text:
Clocks Evening and the setting sun Eyes Fading and losing colour Graves and burials Hearts Heaven, the sky Lost and found Melancholy Morning and morning songs Rivers (Strom) Rivers – waterfalls, rapids and whirlpools Tears and crying Valleys Wreaths and garlands Youth
This text is in the same poetic metre, and shares many of the themes, of the other Heinrich Hüttenbrenner poem set by his friend Schubert, Der Jüngling auf dem Hügel (D 702). In this case, we are less certain that the beloved girl has actually died. All we know is that she has now ‘disappeared’ from the poet’s life. The tolling bell seems to be more about the loss of the speaker’s youth and innocence than about the death of a girl. The tomb that is covered in grief is almost certainly that of the melancholy poet himself.
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Original Spelling Wehmuth Die Abendglocke tönet, Vom Himmel sinkt die Ruh; Das Auge grambetränet Nur schließet sich nicht zu. Daß meine Jugend fliehet Allein und ungeliebt, Daß jeder Kranz verblühet, Das ist, was mich betrübt. Und als ich sie gefunden, War Herz und Welt nur Lust, Und seit sie mir entschwunden, Ist Atmen ein Verlust. Der Strom aus Felsen quillend, Die Berge lieben nicht; Nur's arme Herz, das fühlend, So leicht von Kummer bricht. O töne, sanft Geläute, In's stille Tal hinab, Der Morgen deckt das Heute, Den Gram das Grabeshaus.
Note by Peter Rastl: Schubert received Hüttenbrenner’s poem in handwritten form. It was not published independently from Schubert’s song.