Music Of The Waters - online book

Sailors' Chanties, Songs Of The Sea, Boatmen's, Fishermen's,
Rowing Songs, & Water Legends with lyrics & sheet music

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234             Music of the Waters.
Die Luft ist kiihl und es dunkelt, ] Und ruhig fiieszt der Rhein ; Der Gipfel des Berges funkelt Im Abend-Sonnenschein.
Die schbnste Jungfrau sitzet Dort oben wunderbar, Ihr goldnes Geschmeide blitzet, Sie kammt ihr goldnes Haar ;
Sie kammt es mit goldenen Kamme Und singt em Lied dabei; Das hat erne wundersame Gewaltige Melodie.
Den Schiffer im kleinen Schiffe, Ergreift es mit wildem Weh ; Er sieht nicht die Felsenriffe, Er schaut nur hinauf in die Hbh' !
Ich glaube, die Wellen verschlingen Am Ende Schiffer und Kahn ; Und das hat mit ihrem Singen Die Lorelei gethan.
The air is cool, and it darkens, And calmly flows the Rhine ; The mountain summit glimmers In the evening sunshine.
Above, in wondrous beauty, There sits a maiden fair j Her brilliant jewels glitter, She combs her golden hair.
Combing her golden tresses, A song the while she sings, A song so weird, alluring, That through my heart it rings.
Bewitched with woe and longing, The boatman is looking on high, Not heeding the threatening danger, That hovers round him so nigh.
Methinks that the bark and boatman The treacherous waves have won ; And that, with her beautiful singing, The Lorelei has done.
I have purposely given this translation of the beautiful poem, as so many English versions are published totally regardless of the music, and to my idea it seems scarcely worth while to translate any song-verses without having regard to the song itself. I have found many English ver­sions of this legend, all more or less inaccurate as a true description of the thrilling effect of the original words. Some of them even speak of the " fury of the sea, the rock-bound coast," &c, and surely if ever a legend were asso­ciated with a river, it is that of the Lorelei with the Rhine.
The song " Freiheit, die Ich Meine," is often heard on board German vessels. The words are to be found in most books of German "Lieder," so I will content myself with giving a few bars of the melody.