TRANSLATION: Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21 - "Columbine"

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.

COLUMBINE

The moonlight pale flowers,
The miracle of white roses,
Bloom at night in July--
Oh, if I could only choose one!

For my pain to relieve anxiety;
In search of the dark current
The moonlight pale flowers,
White roses miracle.

All my desire is satisfied
If I could--as secret as in a fairy tale
So blissfully softly--to scatter
His brown hair on the petals
The moonlight pale flowers.

Up next: "Der Dandy"

Tags

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