Am Teetisch by Heinrich Heine
Sie saßen und tranken am Teetisch
Und sprachen von Liebe viel.
Die Herren, die waren ästhetisch,
Die Damen von zartem Gefühl.
“Die Liebe muß sein platonisch,”
Der dürre Hofrat sprach.
Die Hofrätin lächelt ironisch,
und dennoch seufzte sie: “Ach!”
Der Domherr öffnet den Mund weit:
“Die Liebe sei nicht zu roh,
Sie schadet sonst der Gesundheit”
Das Fräulein lispelt: “Wie so?”
Die Gräfin spricht wehmütig:
“Die Liebe ist ein Passion!”
Und präsentieret gütig
Die Tasse dem Herrn Baron.
Am Tische war noch ein Plätzchen,
Mein Liebchen, da hast du gefehlt.
Du hättest so hübsch, mein Schätzchen,
Von deiner Liebe erzählt.
At the tea-table great translation not by Harry Joelson but John Bowring 🙂 (thanks to recmusic.org/lieder)
They sat round the tea-table drinking,
And speaking of love a great deal;
The men of aesthetics were thinking,
The ladies more prone were to feel.
“All love ought to be but platonical”
The wither’d old counsellor said;
His wife by a smile quite ironical
Rejoin’d, and then sighed “Ah!” instead.
Said the canon with visage dejected:
“Love ne’er should be suffered to go
“Too far, or the health is affected;”
The maiden then simper’d: “How so?”
The Countess her sad feelings vented,
Said “Love is a passion, I’m sure,”
And then to the Baron presented
His cup with politeness demure.
A place was still empty at table;
My darling, ’twas thou wert away;
Thou hadst been so especially able
The tale of thy love, sweet, to say.
Comments
Thank you for doing so, the recmusic site is a treasure.
Ah, would that I could translate in this manner! Alas, my contribution was merely to convey the 19th century translation by John Bowring to Emily Ezust for her superb site:
http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=78888.
Thank you for letting me hear the song!
Best wishes,
Harry Joelson
Winterthur, Switzerland