Cantata to celebrate the recovery from illness of Irene Kiesewetter
(Poet's title: Cantate zur Feier der Genesung Irene Kiesewetter)
Set by Schubert:
D 936
for TTBB quartet, SATB choir and piano[April 5, 1827]
Al par del ruscelletto chiaro
La tua vita scorra, Irene,
Compagne sian le grazie amene,
E l’amistà, virtù e fè.
Il suo rigor, le tue pene
Serbi a noi soli’l fato avaro,
E sia per noi ancor più amaro
Ond’ esser prodigo con te.
Irene, dea della pace,
Conserva in lei tranquillo il cor
Del suo filial amor la face
Per lunga età risplenda ancor.
Evviva dunque la bella Irene,
La delizia del nostro amor.
Like a clear little stream
May your life flow on, Irene,
May pleasant graces be your companions,
Friendship, virtue and faith.
Instead of you having to suffer, may the rigours
Of cruel fate affect only us,
And let things be even more bitter for us
So that fate can be generous to you.
May Irene, goddess of peace,
Retain a tranquil heart,
And may her filial love
Continue to burn for a long time.
So, long live beautiful Irene,
Our loving delight.
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.
☙
Ingeborg Harer of Graz has recently discovered a manuscript showing that this Cantata was prepared to celebrate Irene Kiesewetter’s nameday and that the title in the Deutsch catalogue referring to her recovery from illness is inaccurate.