Friday, July 2, 2021
When Schubert invited his friends to hear the first 12 songs from “Winterreise” (Winter Journey), he described them as “schauerlicher” (chilling or ghastly). His friends were indeed put off by the dark mood of the songs, but Schubert assured them that they would come to love them. The third song is called “Gefrorne Tränen“ (Frozen Tears).
Gefrorne Tränen
Gefrorne Tropfen fallen
Von meinen Wangen ab:
Ob es mir denn entgangen,
Dass ich geweinet hab’?
Ei Tränen, meine Tränen,
Und seid ihr gar so lau,
Dass ihr erstarrt zu Eise,
Wie kühler Morgentau?
Und dringt doch aus der Quelle
Der Brust so glühend heiss,
Als wolltet ihr zerschmelzen
Des ganzen Winters Eis.
---
Frozen Tears
Drops of ice are falling
from off my cheeks:
did I not notice, then,
that I have been weeping?
Ah tears, my tears,
are you so tepid then
that you turn to ice
like cold morning dew?
Yet you spring from your source
in my breast so burning hot
as if you would melt
a whole winter’s ice!
Winterreise, D911: Gefrorne Tränen
Winterreise, D911: Gefrorne Tränen
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John Scialdone published this page in Daily Beethoven 2021-07-02 10:38:38 -0400