TRANSLATION: Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21 - "A Pale Laundress"

Lost in the fire of last year's Pierrot centennial was translation. After all, it was Otto Erich Hartleben's German--translated from the original French of Albert Giraud--that Arnold Schoenberg had set.

And with Stanley Appelbaum's Anglicised Hartleben turning 20 next year (not to mention having its own Twitter account @PierrotTweets), Classicalite figured a new English language translation was passed due.

To wit, for the next 21 weekdays, we'll be offering a new take on each of Giraud/Hartleben/Appelbaum's 3x7 poems...alongside some of our favorite performances.

A PALE LAUNDRESS

A pale laundress
Pallid washcloths in the night,
Extending bare, silver knives
Down in the flowing water.

Winds fly through the clearing,
Gently curl the stream.
A pale laundress
Pallid washcloths in the night.

And sweet girl from heaven,
Little flattered by the branches,
Spreads the dark meadows
Her leaves light-woven--
A pale laundress.

Up next: "Valse De Chopin"

Tags

Translation, Schoenberg, Pierrot Lunaire, Part I, Albert Giraud, Otto Erich Hartleben, Stanley Appelbaum