Consolation
(Poet's title: Trost)
Set by Schubert:
D 523
[Januarry 1817]
Nimmer lange weil ich hier,
Komme bald hinauf zu dir,
Tief und still fühl’ ich’s in mir,
Nimmer lange weil’ ich hier.
Komme bald hinauf zu dir,
Schmerzen, Qualen für und für
Wüten in dem Busen mir,
Komme bald hinauf zu dir.
Tief und still fühl’ ich’s in mir,
Eines heißen Dranges Gier
Zehrt die Flamm’ im Innern hier,
Tief und still fühl’ ich’s in mir.
Nimmer lange weil’ ich hier,
Komme bald hinauf zu dir;
Tief und still fühl’ ich’s in mir,
Nimmer lange weil ich hier.
I am not going to remain here any longer,
I shall soon join you up there;
I can feel it deep and quiet within me:
I am not going to remain here any longer.
I shall soon join you up there,
Pain and distress are continually
Raging within my breast;
I shall soon join you up there.
I can feel it deep and quiet within me:
The craving of a hot impulse
Is being fed by a flame here inside me,
I can feel it deep and quiet within me.
I am not going to remain here any longer,
I shall soon join you up there;
I can feel it deep and quiet within me:
I am not going to remain here any longer.
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:
The title is ‘consolation’, but it is hard to believe that anyone is being comforted, least of all the bereaved speaker of this bleak poem. Much of the language is about looking forward to being reunited ‘up there’ with the person that has died, but the perpetual repetition shows that the speaker cannot escape from the torment ‘deep within’. “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below.” (Claudius in Hamlet Act III Scene 3)
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Original Spelling Trost Nimmer lange weil' ich hier, Komme bald hinauf zu dir; Tief und still fühl' ich's in mir: Nimmer lange weil' ich hier. Komme bald hinauf zu dir, Schmerzen, Qualen, für und für Wüthen in dem Busen mir; Komme bald hinauf zu dir. Tief und still fühl' ich's in mir: Eines heißen Dranges Gier Zehrt die Flamm' im Innern hier, Tief und still fühl' ich's in mir. Nimmer lange weil' ich hier, Komme bald hinauf zu dir; Tief und still fühl' ich's in mir: Nimmer lange weil' ich hier.