Songs
Nichts
(1885)
Op. 10 no.2
Nichts
Nennen soll ich, sagt ihr, meine Königin im Liederreich!Toren, die ihr seid, ich kenne Sie am wenigsten von euch.Fragt mich nach der Augen Farbe,Fragt mich nach der Stimme Ton,Fragt nach Gang und Tanz und Haltung, Ach, und was weiß ich davon.Ist die Sonne nicht die Quelle Alles Lebens, alles Licht’sUnd was wissen von derselben Ich, und ihr, und alle?—nichts.
Nothing
You say I should nameMy queen in the realm of song! Fools that you are, I knowHer least of all of you.Ask me the colour of her eyes,Ask me about the sound of her voice,Ask me about her walk, her dancing, her bearing, Ah! what do I know of all that.Is not the sun the sourceOf all life, of all light,And what do we know about it,I and you and everyone?—nothing.
Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)
If you would like to use our texts and translations, please click here for more information.
Composer
Richard Georg Strauss was a German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is particularly well-known for his operas, Lieder, and tone poems.
Read more here.
See Full Entry
Sorry, no further description available.
Previously performed at:
- 15 Oct 2018: Strauss, Debussy & Schumann: Louise Alder, Stef van Herten & Sholto Kynoch
-
- 26 Oct 2017: Mahler, Berg, Korngold & Strauss: Angelika Kirchschlager & Julius Drake
-
- 18 Oct 2017: Schubert and Strauss: Kathryn Rudge & Christopher Glynn
-
- 15 Oct 2017: My Dearest Hedgehog
-
Nichts
Nennen soll ich, sagt ihr, meine
Königin im Liederreich!
Toren, die ihr seid, ich kenne
Sie am wenigsten von euch.
Fragt mich nach der Augen Farbe,
Fragt mich nach der Stimme Ton,
Fragt nach Gang und Tanz und Haltung,
Ach, und was weiß ich davon.
Ist die Sonne nicht die Quelle
Alles Lebens, alles Licht’s
Und was wissen von derselben
Ich, und ihr, und alle?—nichts.
Nothing
You say I should name
My queen in the realm of song!
Fools that you are, I know
Her least of all of you.
Ask me the colour of her eyes,
Ask me about the sound of her voice,
Ask me about her walk, her dancing, her bearing,
Ah! what do I know of all that.
Is not the sun the source
Of all life, of all light,
And what do we know about it,
I and you and everyone?—nothing.
If you would like to use our texts and translations, please click here for more information.
Composer
Richard Georg Strauss was a German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is particularly well-known for his operas, Lieder, and tone poems.
Read more here.
See Full Entry
Sorry, no further description available.
Previously performed at:
- 15 Oct 2018: Strauss, Debussy & Schumann: Louise Alder, Stef van Herten & Sholto Kynoch
- 26 Oct 2017: Mahler, Berg, Korngold & Strauss: Angelika Kirchschlager & Julius Drake
- 18 Oct 2017: Schubert and Strauss: Kathryn Rudge & Christopher Glynn
- 15 Oct 2017: My Dearest Hedgehog