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Lauf der Welt

Part of a series or song cycle:

Six Songs (Op. 48)

Lauf der Welt

Johann Ludwig Uhland

An jedem Abend geh’ ich aus,
Hinauf den Wiesensteg.
Sie schaut aus ihrem Gartenhaus,
Es stehet hart am Weg.
Wir haben uns noch nie bestellt,
Es ist nur so der Lauf der Welt.
Ich weiß nicht, wie es so geschah,
Seit lange küss’ ich sie,
Ich bitte nicht, sie sagt nicht: ja!
Doch sagt sie: nein! auch nie.
Wenn Lippe gern auf Lippe ruht,
Wir hindern’s nicht, uns dünkt es gut.
Das Lüftchen mit der Rose spielt,
Es fragt nicht: hast mich lieb?
Das Röschen sich am Taue kühlt,
Es sagt nicht lange: gib!
Ich liebe sie, sie liebet mich,
Doch keines sagt: ich liebe dich!

The Way of the World

English Translation © Richard Stokes

Every evening I go out,
Up the meadow path.
She looks out from her summer house,
Which stands close by the road.
We’ve never planned a rendezvous,
It’s just the way of the world.
I don’t know how it came about,
For a long time I’ve been kissing her,
I don’t ask, she doesn’t say yes!
But neither does she ever say no!
When lips are pleased to rest on lips,
We don’t prevent it, it just seems good.
The little breeze plays with the rose,
It doesn’t ask: do you love me?
The rose cools itself with dew,
It doesn’t dream of saying: give!
I love her, she loves me,
But neither says: I love you!

Composer

Edvard Grieg

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Poet

Johann Ludwig Uhland

Johann Ludwig Uhland, was a German poet, philologist and literary historian.
He was born in Tübingen, Württemberg, and studied jurisprudence at the university there, but also took an interest in medieval literature, especially old German and French poetry. Having graduated as a doctor of laws in 1810, he went to Paris for eight months to continue his studies of poetry; and from 1812 to 1814 he worked as a lawyer in Stuttgart, in the bureau of the minister of justice.

Taken from Wikipedia. To view the full article, please click here.


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