HEINRICH HEINE

Io non so che voglia dire

che son triste, così triste.
Un racconto d'altri tempi
nella mia memoria insiste.

Fresca è l'aria e l'ombra cala,

scorre il Reno quetamente;
sopra il monte raggia il sole
declinando all'occidente.

La bellissima fanciulla
sta lassù, mostra il tesoro
dei suoi splendidi gioielli,
liscia i suoi capelli d'oro.

mentre il pettine maneggia,

canta, e il canto ha una malia
strana e forte che si effonde
con la dolce melodia.

Soffre e piange il barcaiolo,

e non sa che mal l'opprima,
più non vede scogli e rive,
fissi gli occhi ha su la cima.

Alla fine l'onda inghiotte 

barcaiolo e barca...Ed ahi!
Questo ha fatto col suo canto
la fanciulla Lorelei.

Heinrich Heine, 1822 (1799-   Tr. Frank 1998

1856) 1. Ignoro, quid id sibi 1. I cannot determine the
1. Ich weiß nicht, was soll es velit, meaning
bedeuten, Tristissimus cur sim, Of sorrow that fills my breast:
Daß ich so traurig bin, Antiqui aevi fabellam A fable of old, through it
Ein Märchen aus uralten Cur saepe volverim. streaming,
Zeiten, Vesperascit et Allows my mind no rest.
Das kommt mir nicht aus dem
Sinn.
Die Luft ist kühl und es
dunkelt,
Und ruhig fließt der Rhein;
Der Gipfel des Berges funkelt,
Im Abendsonnenschein.
2. Die schönste Jungfrau sitzet
Dort oben wunderbar,
Ihr gold'nes Geschmeide
blitzet,
Sie kämmt ihr goldenes Haar,
Sie kämmt es mit goldenem
Kamme,
Und singt ein Lied dabei;
Das hat eine wundersame,
Gewalt'ge Melodei.
3. Den Schiffer im kleinen
Schiffe,
Ergreift es mit wildem Weh;
Er schaut nicht die Felsenriffe, 3. In cymba navitam forsake.
Er schaut nur hinauf in die
Höh'.
Ich glaube, die Wellen
verschlingen
Am Ende Schiffer und Kahn, Ocli non si sursum power
Und das hat mit ihrem Singen, vident.
Die Loreley getan.
frigescit, The air is cool in the gloaming
Et Rhenus leniter it, And gently flows the Rhine.
Cacumen montis The crest of the mountain is
lucescit, gleaming
Dum Phoebus In fading rays of sunshine.
occidit.
2. The loveliest maiden is sitting
2. Sedet in summo Up there, so wondrously fair;
montis Her golden jewelry is glist'ning;
Virgo pulcherrima, She combs her golden hair.
Auro nitet gemma She combs with a gilded comb,
frontis, preening,
Se pectit auricoma. And sings a song, passing time.
Aureolo pectine It has a most wondrous,
pectit, appealing
Carmen canens And pow'rful melodic rhyme.
procul,
Mirandum id habet 3. The boatman aboard his small
modum skiff, -
Nec non virilem Enraptured with a wild ache,
simul. Has no eye for the jagged cliff, -
His thoughts on the heights fear
mille I think that the waves will
Angores feri tenent, devour
Non videt scopulos Both boat and man, by and by,
ille, And that, with her dulcet-voiced
Was done by the Loreley.
Opinor undas
devorare
Nautam cum
navicula,
Effecit solo canendo
Lurleia id dea.

Ich weeß nich, mich isses so gomisch,

Und ärchendwas macht mich verstimmt.
Ich globe, des is anadomisch,
Wie das bei de Menschen so kimmt.

De Elbe, de blätschert so friedlich,

Und e Fischgahn gommt aus dr Tschechei,
Drin sitzt ne Familche gemütlich,
Nu sindse gleich bei dr Bastei.

Und obm uffm Berche, nu gugge,

Da gämmt sichn Freilein ihrn Zopp,
Se striecheltn feste mit Spugge
Und gläbtn als Gauz aufn Kopp.

Der Papa dort unten ihm Gahne

Schaut nuff bei das Freilein entzickt.
Die Mama, die spricht voller Ahne:
"Die macht unsern Papa verrickt!"

Nun fängt die dort obm uffm Berche

Zu singn noch an een Gublee.
Der Papa im Gahn tut sich wälze
Und jubelt vor Freude juchhee.

"Sitzt ruhig!" ruft ängstlich Ottielche,

Schon gibbelt ganz schregglich der Gahn -
Und plätzlich versingt de Familche,
Ach Freilein, was hamse gedan!?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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For other uses, see Lorelei (disambiguation).

Lorelei Rock on the Rhine

Lorelei in 1900
Lorelei

Lorelei sign on the bank of the Rhine

View of the Rhine as seen by the Lorelei

The Lorelei (also spelled Loreley) is a rock on the eastern bank of the Rhine near St.
Goarshausen, Germany, which soars some 120 metres above the water line. It marks
the narrowest part of the river between Switzerland and the North Sea. A very strong
current and rocks below the waterline have caused many boat accidents there. Since
1395, the vineyards of the Counts of Katzenelnbogen have been located here.

Lorelei is also the name of one of the beautiful Rhine Maidens who, legend has it,
lured navigators of this river to their dooms with their alluring singing, much like the
Sirens of ancient Greek myth.

The name comes from the old German words "lureln" (Rhine dialect for
"murmuring") and the Celtic term "ley" (rock). The translation of the name would
therefore be: "murmur rock" or "murmuring rock". The heavy currents, and a small
waterfall in the area (still visible in the early 19th century) created a murmuring
sound, and this combined with the special echo the rock produces which acted as a
sort of amplifier, then gave name to the rock itself.[1] The murmuring is hard to hear
today due to the urbanization of the area. Other theories attribute the name to the
many accidents, by combining the word "luren" (lurk) with the same "ley" ending,
with the translation "lurking rock".

In Folklore, Poetry and Song

The rock is associated with several legendary tales originating in German folklore. It
appears in many forms. The legend was first created by the German author Clemens
Brentano in his novel "Godwi oder Das steinerne Bild der Mutter" (1801); Brentano
was inspired by Ovid, especially by the Echo-Narcissus myth. The poem "Die
Lorelei" by Heinrich Heine, which was labelled as "written by unknown writer"
during the Third Reich because it was too popular to ban it completely for its Jewish
authorship, is still one of the most well known poems in German language.

One of the legends is that Lorelei, a beautiful young maiden, committed suicide
because of an unfaithful lover. She jumped from the steep rock into the Rhine River,
thus killing herself. She then became a siren, luring shipmen to their fates with her
hypnotizing voice. The echoing heard today is said to be Lorelei.

According to the German legend of the Lorelei, there was once a beautiful young
maiden, named Lorelei, who threw herself headlong into the river in despair over a
faithless lover. Upon her death she was transformed into a siren and could from that
time on be heard singing on a rock along the Rhine River, near St. Goar. Her hypnotic
music lured sailors to their death. The legend is based on an echoing rock with that
name near Sankt Goarshausen, Germany. (From the encyclopedia mythica.)

There are many spelling variations of the name, the most common being Lorelei,
Loreli, Lorilei, Loreley, Lorely, Lorelie, and Lorelee. It is pronounced LAURA-lie.

The rock band STYX composed one song with Lorelei as the title. However, there are
also other songs about Lorelei from worldwide sources.

Die Lorelei
The Lorelei

Heinrich Heine
 

ORIGINAL: TRANSLATION:

Ich weiß nicht, was soll es bedeuten, I don't know what it may signify
Daß ich so traurig bin; That I am so sad;
Ein Märchen aus alten Zeiten, There's a tale from ancient times
Das kommt mir nicht aus dem Sinn. That I can't get out of my mind.

Die Luft ist kühl, und es dunkelt, The air is cool and the twilight is falling
Un ruhig fließt der Rhein; and the Rhine is flowing quietly by;
Der Gipfel des Berges funkelt the top of the mountain is glittering
In Abendsonnenschein. in the evening sun.

Die schönste Jungfrau sitzet The loveliest maiden is sitting

Dort oben wunderbar, Up there, wondrous to tell.
Ihr goldenes Geschmeide blitzet, Her golden jewelry sparkles
Sie kämmt ihr goldenes Haar. as she combs her golden hair

Sie kämmt es mit goldenem Kamme She combs it with a golden comb
Und singt ein Leid dabei; and sings a song as she does,
Das hat eine wundersame, A song with a peculiar,
Gewaltige Melodei. powerful melody.

Den Schiffer im kleinen Schiffe It seizes upon the boatman in his small boat
Ergreift es mit wildem Weh; With unrestrained woe;
Er schaut nicht die Felsenriffe, He does not look below to the rocky shoals,
Er schaut nur hinauf in die Höh'. He only looks up at the heights.

Ich glaube, die Wellen verschlingen If I'm not mistaken, the waters
Am Ende Schiffer uns Kahn; Finally swallowed up fisher and boat;
Und das hat mit ihrem Singen And with her singing
Die Lorelei getan. The Lorelei did this.
Wenn ich in deine Augen seh'
Language: German
Wenn ich in deine Augen seh',
So schwindet [all' mein Leid]1 und Weh;
Doch wenn ich küße deinen Mund,
So werd' ich ganz und gar gesund.

Wenn ich mich lehn' an deine Brust,

Kommt's über mich wie Himmelslust;
Doch wenn du sprichst: ich liebe dich!
[So]2 muß ich weinen bitterlich.
Quando  ti  guardo  negli  occhi
Language: Italian
Quando ti guardo negli occhi,
svanisce ogni mia pena e dolore;
e quando bacio la tua bocca
si risana tutto il mio essere.

Quando giaccio sul tuo petto,

scende su di me una gioia celeste;
ma quando dici: Ti amo!
piango lacrime amare.

When  I  gaze  into  your  eyes

Language: English
When I gaze into your eyes,
All my pain and woe vanishes;
Yet when I kiss your lips,
I am made wholly and entirely healthy.

When I lay against your breast

It comes over me like longing for heaven;
Yet when you say, "I love you!"
I must cry so bitterly.