Skip to main content

Songs

Songs

Adelaide (1795) Op. 46

Adelaide

Friedrich von Matthison

Einsam wandelt dein Freund im Frühlingsgarten,
Mild vom lieblichen Zauberlicht umflossen,
Das durch wankende Blütenzweige zittert,
Adelaide!
In der spiegelnden Flut, im Schnee der Alpen,
In des sinkenden Tages Goldgewölken,
Im Gefilde der Sterne strahlt dein Bildnis,
Adelaide!
Abendlüfte im zarten Laube flüstern,
Silberglöckchen des Mais im Grase säuseln,
Wellen rauschen und Nachtigallen flöten:
Adelaide!
Einst, o Wunder! entblüht auf meinem Grabe
Eine Blume der Asche meines Herzens;
Deutlich schimmert auf jedem Purpurblättchen:
Adelaide!

Adelaide

English Translation © Richard Stokes

Your friend wanders lonely in the spring garden,
Gently bathed in the magical sweet light
That shimmers through swaying boughs in bloom,
Adelaide!
In the mirroring waves, in the Alpine snows,
In the golden clouds of the dying day,
In the fields of stars your image shines,
Adelaide!
Evening breezes whisper in the tender leaves,
The silvery bells of May rustle in the grass,
Waves murmur and nightingales sing:
Adelaide!
One day, O miracle! there shall bloom on my grave
A flower from the ashes of my heart;
On every purple leaf shall clearly shimmer:
Adelaide!
Translations by 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

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the classical and romantic eras in classical music, he remains one of the most recognized and influential musicians of this period, and is considered to be one of the greatest composers of all time.

Read his full Wikipedia article here.


See Full Entry

Poet

Friedrich von Matthison

Friedrich von Matthisson was a German poet, an early member of the German Romantic movement. His best known poem is probably Adelaide, which was set to music by Beethoven.

He was born at Hohendodeleben near Magdeburg, the son of the village pastor, on the 23rd of January 1761. After studying theology and philology at the university of Halle, he was appointed in 1781 master at the classical school Philanthropinum in Dessau. This once famous seminary was, however, then rapidly decaying in public favor, and in 1784 Matthisson was glad to accept a travelling tutorship. He lived for two years with the Swiss author Bonstetten at Nyon on Lake Geneva.

In 1794 he was appointed reader and traveling companion to Princess Louisa of Anhalt-Dessau (wife of Leopold III, Duke of Anhalt-Dessau). They visited Switzerland, Tyrol, and Italy. For a time, they were joined in their travels by Danish author and salonist Friederike Brun. After Princess Louisa's death in 1811, he entered the service of the king of Württemberg, was ennobled, created counselor of legation, appointed intendant of the court theatre and chief librarian of the royal library at Stuttgart. He resided for a time in Italy. In 1828 he retired and settled at Wörlitz near Dessau, where he died on the 12th of March 1831.

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


See Full Entry

Sorry, no further description available.

Mailing List