| Grün und still so lag die Heide,
| The heath lay green and still,
|
| Uferböschung, alte Weide.
| Embankment, old pasture.
|
| Bog sich tief nun Jahr um Jahr,
| Bowed deep now year after year,
|
| Zu stillen Wassern, kalt und klar.
| To still waters, cold and clear.
|
| Wo da tief in Grundes Dunkel,
| Where deep in the dark,
|
| Großer Augen Wehmuts Funkeln.
| Big eyes of melancholy sparkle.
|
| Schimmert hoch nun Jahr um Jahr,
| Shines high now year after year,
|
| Auf graues, langes Weidenhaar.
| On gray, long willow hair.
|
| Weide, alte Weide!
| Willow, old willow!
|
| Herbst zog ein in grüne Heiden.
| Autumn moved into green heaths.
|
| Klamm die Böhe, Blättertreiben.
| Damn the gusts, drifting leaves.
|
| Kurz ward bald das Licht der Tage,
| The light of day soon became short,
|
| 'Zählt bis heut der Weide Sage.
| 'To this day counts the willow legend.
|
| Unbeirrt doch waren beide,
| Undeterred both were
|
| Stumm die Blicke, Trauerweide.
| Mute the looks, weeping willow.
|
| Nie zu fassen ihre Bürde,
| her burden never to be grasped,
|
| Nie zu brechen einer Würde.
| Never to break a dignity.
|
| Weide, Trauerweide!
| willow, weeping willow!
|
| Hörst du das Lärmen in den Tiefen der Heide?
| Do you hear the noise in the depths of the heath?
|
| Das Brechen, das Reißen, Verbrennen der Zweige.
| The breaking, the tearing, the burning of the branches.
|
| Die Äxte, sie hacken, das Holz es zersplittert.
| The axes, they chop, the wood it splits.
|
| Die Donner, sie grollen ihr tiefstes Gewitter!
| The thunders, they rumble their deepest thunderstorm!
|
| Das Wasser, es schäumet, gepeitscht sind die Wogen,
| The water foams, the waves are lashed,
|
| Hilflos, so starrt sie und sieht auf das Morden.
| Helpless, she stares and looks at the killing.
|
| Geschlagen von Trauer das Funkeln erkaltet,
| Beaten by sadness the sparkle grows cold,
|
| Getragen von Wagen die Weide entgleitet…
| Carried by wagons the willow slips away...
|
| Winter wars, nach vielen Jahren,
| It was winter, after many years,
|
| Kam ein Boot herangefahren.
| A boat came pulling up.
|
| Friedlich zog der hölzern Kahn,
| The wooden boat drew peacefully,
|
| Am Ufer seine Bahn.
| His course on the shore.
|
| Dunkel schoss aus tiefen Ranken,
| Dark shot from deep tendrils,
|
| Eingedenkt der grauen Planken,
| Mindful of the gray planks,
|
| Brach sie Kiel, es sank der Bug,
| Broke her keel, the bow sank,
|
| Das Wasser hart ans Schilfrohr schlug.
| The water hit the reeds hard.
|
| Und so schlang sie und so zwang sie und so zog sie sie herab.
| And so she snagged and so she constrained and so she pulled them down.
|
| Und so schlang sie und so zwang sie alle in ihr kaltes Grab.
| And so she devoured and so forced them all into her cold grave.
|
| Green and silent lays the moorland
| Green and silent lays the moorland
|
| Bank slope, old willow
| Bank slope, old willow
|
| Bowing down now year by year
| Bowing down now year by year
|
| To silent waters, cold an clear
| To silent waters, cold to clear
|
| Where deep in the ground
| Where deep in the ground
|
| The sparkling melancholy of great eyes
| The sparkling melancholy of great eyes
|
| Stares up year by year
| Stares up year by year
|
| Onto long, grey willo-whair
| Onto long, gray willo-whair
|
| Willow, old willow!
| Willow, old Willow!
|
| Autumn falls onto green moorland
| Autumn falls onto green moorland
|
| Clammy gusts, leaves dance
| Clammy gusts, leaves dance
|
| The light of the days has become short
| The light of the days has become short
|
| Tells till today the tale of the willow
| Tells till today the tale of the willow
|
| But both were determined
| But both were determined
|
| Silent views, willow of sorrow
| Silent views, willow of sorrow
|
| Unbearable burden
| Unbearable burden
|
| No one’d dear to break
| No one'd dear to break
|
| Willow, sorrow-willow!
| Willow, sorrow willow!
|
| Can you hear the noise from the moreland?
| Can ye hear the noise from the moreland?
|
| The breaking, the tearing, the burning of branches
| The breaking, the tearing, the burning of branches
|
| The axes hack, wood crashes
| The axes hack, wood crashes
|
| Thunders growl their deepest growl!
| Thunders growl their deepest growl!
|
| The water seethes, punished waves,
| The water seethes, punished waves,
|
| Helpless she stares, sees up to the murder
| Helpless she stares, sees up to the murder
|
| Beaten by sorrow the sparkles fade
| Beaten by sorrow the sparkles fade
|
| Carried by wagons the willow fades
| Carried by wagons the willow fades
|
| It was winter after many years
| It was winter after many years
|
| A boat came on the water
| A boat came on the water
|
| Peaceful drove the wooden boat
| Peaceful drove the wooden boat
|
| On the bank slope
| On the bank slope
|
| Darkness rised from the ground
| Darkness risen from the ground
|
| Keeping in mind the grey wood
| Keeping in mind the gray wood
|
| She broke the keel, the bow sank
| She broke the keel, the bow sank
|
| The water shaked the reed
| The water shook the reed
|
| And so she gorged and so she forced and so she pulled them down
| And so she gorged and so she forced and so she pulled them down
|
| And so she gorged and so she forced all into their cold graves | And so she gorged and so she forced all into their cold graves |