To my lute
(Poet's title: An die Laute)
Set by Schubert:
D 905
[January 1827]
Leiser, leiser, kleine Laute,
Flüstre, was ich dir vertraute,
Dort zu jenem Fenster hin!
Wie die Wellen sanfter Lüfte
Mondenglanz und Blumendüfte,
Send es der Gebieterin!
Neidisch sind des Nachbars Söhne,
Und im Fenster jener Schöne
Flimmert noch ein einsam Licht.
Drum noch leiser, kleine Laute:
Dich vernehme die Vertraute,
Nachbarn aber – Nachbarn nicht!
More softly, more softly, little lute,
Whisper what I confided to you
Over there into that window!
Like the waves of gentle breezes,
Moonlight and the scent of flowers,
Offer it to my lady!
The neighbour’s sons are jealous,
And in that beautiful woman’s window
A single light is still flickering.
Therefore, even more softly, little lute:
Let my confidante hear you,
But the neighbours – not the neighbours!
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:
Flowers Lutes Night and the moon Serenades and songs at evening Smells Waves – Welle Wind Windows
Her window must be (at least partially) open, if light breezes, the scent of flowers and the faintest possible strumming on the lute are going to reach her. We therefore know that it must be spring or early summer, so the evenings are light. Since there is ‘still’ a single candle burning in her room we have to conclude that it is truly night time now (presumably there were more candles burning in the house earlier on just after sunset). This is surely not the best time to sing a serenade. No wonder he was worried about disturbing the neighbours.
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Original Spelling An die Laute Leiser, leiser, kleine Laute, Flüstre, was ich dir vertraute, Dort zu jenem Fenster hin! Wie die Wellen sanfter Lüfte Mondenglanz und Blumendüfte, Send' es der Gebieterin! Neidisch sind des Nachbars Söhne, Und im Fenster jener Schöne Flimmert noch ein einsam Licht. Drum noch leiser, kleine Laute: Dich vernehme die Vertraute, Nachbarn aber - Nachbarn nicht!
Confirmed by Peter Rastl with Schubert’s source, Auswahl des Besten aus Friedrich Rochlitz’ sämmtlichen Schriften Vom Verfasser veranstaltet, verbessert und herausgegeben. In sechs Bänden. Vierter Band. Züllichau, in der Darnmannschen Buchhandlung. 1822, page 163.
To see an early edition of the text, go to page 163 [Erstes Bild 175] here: BSB (Opp. 549 e-4): https://download.digitale-sammlungen.de/BOOKS/download.pl?id=bsb10604515