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Emily Ezust
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Wer reitet so spät durch Nacht und Wind

Language: German

Wer reitet so spät durch Nacht und Wind?
Es ist der Vater mit seinem Kind;
Er [hat]1 den Knaben wohl in dem Arm,
Er [faßt]1 ihn sicher, er hält ihn warm.

»Mein Sohn, was birgst du so [bang]2 dein Gesicht?« -
»Siehst, Vater, du den Erlkönig nicht?
Den Erlenkönig mit Kron und Schweif?«
»Mein Sohn, es ist ein Nebelstreif.«

"Du liebes Kind, komm, geh mit mir!
Gar schöne Spiele spiel ich mit dir;
[Manch bunte Blumen sind an dem Strand]3,
Meine Mutter hat manch gülden Gewand."

»Mein Vater, mein Vater, und hörest du nicht,
Was Erlenkönig mir [leise]4 verspricht?«
»Sei ruhig, bleibe ruhig, mein Kind:
In dürren Blättern säuselt der Wind.«

"Willst, feiner Knabe, du mit mir gehn?
Meine Töchter sollen dich warten schön;
Meine Töchter führen den nächtlichen Reihn
Und wiegen und tanzen und singen dich ein."

»Mein Vater, mein Vater, und siehst du nicht dort
Erlkönigs Töchter am düstern Ort?«
»Mein Sohn, mein Sohn, ich seh es genau:
Es scheinen die alten Weiden so grau.«

"Ich liebe dich, mich reizt deine schöne Gestalt;
Und bist du nicht willig, so brauch ich Gewalt."
»Mein Vater, mein Vater, jetzt faßt er mich an!
Erlkönig hat mir ein Leids getan!«

Dem Vater grauset's, er reitet geschwind,
Er hält in Armen das ächzende Kind,
Erreicht den Hof mit Müh' und Not:
In seinen Armen das Kind war tot.
View text without footnotes
1 Spohr: "hält"
2 Spohr: "scheu"
3 Spohr: "Viel bunte Blumen sind am Strand"
4 Spohr: "heimlich"

Input by Ofer Sheinberg

Authorship

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

Set in English, a translation of Anonymous/Unidentified Artist DUT ENG ITA FRE FIN SPA [text unavailable] Set in English, a translation of W. Bartholomew DUT ENG ITA FRE FIN SPA [text unavailable] Set in French, a translation of Jules Abassart DUT ENG ITA FRE FIN SPA [text unavailable]
Available translations (or transliterations, if applicable):

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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The Erl‑King

Language: English

O who rides by night thro' the woodland so wild?
It is the fond father embracing his child;
And close the boy nestles within his loved arm,
To hold himself fast, and to keep himself warm.

"O father, see yonder! see yonder!" he says;
"My boy, upon what dost thou fearfully gaze?"
"O, 'tis the Erl-King with his crown and his shroud."
"No, my son, it is but a dark wreath of the cloud."
                              
The Erl-King Speaks:
  "O come and go with me, thou loveliest child;
  By many a gay sport shall thy time be beguiled;
  My mother keeps for thee many a fair toy,
  And many a fine flower shall she pluck for my boy."

"O father, my father, and did you not hear
The Erl-King whisper so low in my ear?"
"Be still, my heart's darling -- my child, be at ease;
It was but the wild blast as it sung thro' the trees."

Erl-King:
  "O wilt thou go with me, thou loveliest boy?
  My daughter shall tend thee with care and with joy;
  She shall bear thee so lightly thro' wet and thro' wild,
  And press thee, and kiss thee, and sing to my child."

"O father, my father, and saw you not plain
The Erl-King's pale daughter glide past thro' the rain?"
"Oh yes, my loved treasure, I knew it full soon;
It was the grey willow that danced to the moon."

Erl-King:
  "O come and go with me, no longer delay,
  Or else, silly child, I will drag thee away."
"O father! O father! now, now, keep your hold,
The Erl-King has seized me -- his grasp is so cold!"

Sore trembled the father; he spurr'd thro' the wild,
Clasping close to his bosom his shuddering child;
He reaches his dwelling in doubt and in dread,
But, clasp'd to his bosom, the infant was dead.
Authorship Based on

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

    [ None yet in the database ]


Date added to the website: 2007-01-13.