Longing at springtime
(Poet's title: Frühlingssehnsucht)
Set by Schubert:
D 957/3
[August 1828]
Part of 13 Lieder nach Gedichten von Rellstab und Heine (“Schwanengesang”), D 957
Säuselnde Lüfte
Wehend so mild,
Blumiger Düfte
Atmend erfüllt!
Wie haucht ihr mich wonnig begrüßend an!
Wie habt Ihr dem pochenden Herzen getan?
Es möchte euch folgen auf luftiger Bahn!
Wohin?
Bächlein so munter
Rauschend zumal,
Wollen hinunter
Silbern ins Tal.
Die schwebende Welle, dort eilt sie dahin!
Tief spiegeln sich Fluren und Himmel darin.
Was ziehst du mich, sehnend verlangender Sinn,
Hinab?
Grüßender Sonne
Spielendes Gold,
Hoffende Wonne
Bringest du hold.
Wie labt mich dein selig begrüßendes Bild!
Es lächelt am tiefblauen Himmel so mild
Und hat mir das Auge mit Tränen gefüllt.
Warum?
Grünend umkränzet
Wälder und Höh,
Schimmernd erglänzet
Blütenschnee.
So dränget sich alles zum bräutlichen Licht,
Es schwellen die Keime, die Knospe bricht,
Sie haben gefunden was ihnen gebricht,
Und du?
Rastloses Sehnen,
Wünschendes Herz,
Immer nur Tränen,
Klage und Schmerz?
Auch ich bin mir schwellender Triebe bewusst,
Wer stillet mir endlich die drängende Lust?
Nur du befreist den Lenz in der Brust,
Nur du!
Rustling breezes,
Wafting so gently,
Floral scents
Filling the breath!
How blissfully you blow on me as you offer your greetings!
How have you stirred my beating heart?
It would like to follow you on your course through the air!
Where to?
Little streams, so cheerful,
Babbling along,
Wanting to go down
On their silver paths into the valley.
The floating waves, they are hurrying off down there!
The fields and the sky are mirrored in them deep down.
Why are you pulling me, you mood of longing and yearning,
Pulling me down?
Sun with your greeting,
Playful gold
And hopeful bliss
Are what you generously offer.
How your blessed gaze refreshes me with its welcome!
It is smiling so gently in the dark blue sky
And it has filled my eyes with tears! –
Why?
With a green garland all around
Stand the forests and the hills!
Shining and glowing there –
Snow-like blossom!
Thus everything is pushing up towards the bridal light;
The seeds are bursting, the buds are breaking open;
They have found what they needed:
And you?
Restless longing!
Heart full of desire,
At all times nothing but tears,
Laments and pain?
I too am conscious of a swelling urge!
Who is finally going to still this driving desire?
Only you can release the spring in my breast,
Only you!
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:
Blue Breath and breathing Buds Chest / breast Eyes Fields and meadows Flowers Germination, shoots and sprouting Gold Green Greetings Hearts Heaven, the sky Hope Laments, elegies and mourning Longing and yearning Mirrors and reflections Pain Rivers (Bächlein) Silver Smells Snow Spring (season) The sun Surface of the water Tears and crying Valleys Waves – Welle Wind Woods – large woods and forests (Wald)
So much is happening all at once that some people might be overwhelmed. However, the poet has done a good job of separating out all of the vibrant activity in the springtime environment and has managed to unify the strophes accordingly. We begin with air (breezes, scents, movement) and then turn to water (rushing onwards, mirroring the surrounding fields and the sky above). Then comes light in the form of the bright golden sun. These (air, water, light) are the necessary conditions for plant life to flourish: the poet observes the green of the forests and the hills, as well as the white, snow-like blossom. Above all he notes (and feels rather than describes) the swelling, germinating seeds and the opening buds. Spring has sprung. It is busting out all over.
Except, as is made clear in the final strophe, the bursting cannot quite happen in the human observer. All of this energy and relentless drive towards new life is there, but cannot be fully expressed. This is what the title of the poem calls spring-time longing. What has lain dormant, as in the seeds and bulbs underground over winter, has now been touched by the new energy of spring and is ready to emerge. All that is needed is what ‘I’ lack: ‘you’. The nature of the longing hardly needs spelling out: s-e-x.
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Original Spelling and note on the text Frühlings-Sehnsucht Säuselnde Lüfte Wehend so mild, Blumiger Düfte Athmend erfüllt! Wie haucht Ihr mich wonnig begrüßend an! Wie habt Ihr dem pochenden Herzen gethan? Es möchte Euch folgen auf luftiger Bahn! Wohin? Bächlein, so munter Rauschend zumal, Wollen hinunter Silbern in's Thal. Die schwebende Welle, dort eilt sie dahin! Tief spiegeln sich Fluren und Himmel darin. Was ziehst Du mich, sehnend verlangender Sinn, Hinab? Grüßender Sonne Spielendes Gold, Hoffende Wonne Bringest Du hold. Wie labt mich Dein selig begrüßendes Bild! Es lächelt am tiefblauen Himmel so mild, Und hat mir das Auge mit Thränen gefüllt! - Warum? Grünend umkränzet Wälder und Höh'! Schimmernd erglänzet Blüthenschnee! So dränget sich Alles zum bräutlichen Licht; Es schwellen die Keime, die Knospe bricht; Sie haben gefunden was ihnen gebricht: Und Du? Rastloses Sehnen! Wünschendes Herz, Immer nur Thränen, Klage und Schmerz? Auch ich bin mir schwellender Triebe bewußt! Wer stillet mir endlich die drängende Lust? Nur Du befreist den Lenz in der Brust, Nur Du! 1 Schubert changed 'Wallen' (surging down) to 'Wollen' (wanting to go down)
Confirmed by Peter Rastl with Gedichte von Ludwig Rellstab. Erstes Bändchen. Berlin, bei Friedrich Laue. 1827, pages 114-115.
To see an early edition of the text, go to page 114 [130/265] here: http://digital.ub.uni-duesseldorf.de/download/pdf/3376501