Lyr Req: On Wings of Song (Heine, Mendelssohn)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On Wings Of Song (Eng)
From:
Date: 31 May 04 - 06:20 AM

From an old record sung by Webster Booth
Words from memory are

On wings of song I'll bear thee
To that fair Asian Land
Where the broad wave of the Ganges
Flows on through a flowery strand
The violets whisper together
And gaze on the flowery scene
The lovely Lotus are waiting
Until their seeds are cast

And over the plain come leaping
The soft eyed timid gazelle
And from the sacred river
The distant murmer swells

That is as far as memory takes me

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On Wings Of Song (Eng)
From: GUEST,David Stephen
Date: 18 May 04 - 09:11 PM

I have been looking around for that too.
None of the ones shown here fits what I have in my memory.
The one I remember goes something like this :
(Felix Mendelsohn)
On wings of song I'll bear thee,
beloved far away,
whereby moonlit meadows
the silver fountains play...

( I cannot guarantee what I remember is correct.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On Wings Of Song (Eng)
From: Little Robyn
Date: 05 May 04 - 07:40 AM

Actually, I think I remember "On wings of song far roaming" which is a combination of the versions above but I can't remember any of the other words. I'd love to see the movie Innocent Sinners again. Then I'd tape it and check the words from there - but it's dated 1958 and I've never seen it advertised on telly (at least, not in NZ).
Robyn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On Wings Of Song (Eng)
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 05 May 04 - 03:30 AM

I sang this in school, which means it probably came from the 'Singing Together' radio programme booklets. All I can remember at present though is:

"On wings of song I'll bear thee, enchanted realms to see" which hasn't as yet come up in any standard lyrics search.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On Wings Of Song (Eng)
From: Little Robyn
Date: 05 May 04 - 02:35 AM

Thank you Jim. You're wonderful.
Robyn

Subject: Lyr Add: ON THE WINGS OF SONG
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 May 04 - 10:22 PM

Here's another translation that comes with different music, also from The Library of Congress American Memory Collection:

ON THE WINGS OF SONG (1882)
English version by J. R. M.
Music by F. Paolo Tosti.

On the wings of my song I will bear thee, far away thro' the air we will go,
On the banks of the Ganges is waiting thee, dear, the loveliest place that I know.
There the brightest of flowers are blooming, blooming sweet 'neath the light of the moon.
They are longing for thee and are saying, "O, come soon, dearly loved one, come soon!"
They are longing for thee and are saying, "O, come soon, dearly loved one, come soon!"

The sweet violets speak to each other in the language of love and of flowers;
While the roses like maiden and lover dwell in beauty in love's fragrant bowers.
Oh! there will we dwell with the flowers, love, we will care for the gay world no more;
In love and affection and peace, love, we'll dream happy dreams evermore.
In love and affection and peace, love, we will dream happy dreams evermore.
Oh! here will we dream happy dreams, love.

[And here's yet another one from The Library of Congress American Memory Collection:]

ON THE WINGS OF SONG. (1882)
Poem by H. Heine
English version by L. Underwood.
Music by F. Paolo Tosti.

Far, far on the wings of my song, love, I will bear thee away through the air,
To the plains by the Ganges along, love, for the loveliest place I know there.
There a red blooming garden is lying in the pale silent light of the moon;
To thee are the lotus flowers sighing, "O dearly loved sister, come soon!"
To thee are the lotus flowers sighing, "O dearly loved sister, come soon!"

The violets chat with each other and gaze on the stars up above,
In whispers one rose to another telleth strange fragrant stories of love.
And there 'neath the shade of the palm, love, Together we'll sit down and rest;
We'll breathe in affection and calm, love, and we'll dream happy dreams and be blest.
We'll breathe in affection and calm, love, we'll dream happy dreams and be blest.
We'll sit 'neath the palm, love,
And we'll dream, love.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On Wings Of Song (Eng)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 May 04 - 09:55 PM

The sheet music that Masato provided a link to above has singable English lyrics (as well as German). It doesn't identify the translator.

ON WINGS OF SONG

On wings of music roaming
With thee, my love, I will glide,
Where the gay flowers are blooming
On banks by the Ganges' tide.
Oh! there is a garden of roses
While moonbeams calmly shine.
The lotus flower uncloses
Her eye, to gaze on thine.
The lotus flower uncloses
Her eye to gaze on thine.

There blue-eyed violets lying,
Look up to the stars with delight;
There the musk roses are sighing
Fond secrets, like Fays of the night.
There light-footed antelopes
Lie crouching ready to leap,
While on in distance gliding,
The river seeks the deep,
While on in distance gliding,
The river seeks the deep.

Reclining with thee, while night gleams
Under the spreading Palms,
We woo the power of bright dreams,
To shed their heav'nly charms
To shed their heav'nly charms,
Their heav'nly charms.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On Wings Of Song (Eng)
From: Little Robyn
Date: 03 May 04 - 08:34 AM

So is there not a standard singable version in English?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On Wings Of Song (Eng)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 03 May 04 - 06:28 AM

An English translation (not singable) is here at The Lied and Art Song Texts Page.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On Wings Of Song (Eng)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 03 May 04 - 06:23 AM

Sheet music with German & English words is at Music for the Nation: American Sheet Music (American Memory):

On wings of song - Auf flügeln des gesanges / by Mendelssohn (St. Louis: Kunkel Bros., 1885).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On Wings Of Song (Eng)
From: Little Robyn
Date: 03 May 04 - 03:31 AM

I'm trying to find the words in English in a singable version.
I remember a movie many years ago, called 'Innocent Sinners', based on Rumer Godden's 'An Episode of Sparrows', set in war-torn Britain, where the girl playing the main character, a tough tomboy aged about 11-12, ended up singing that song near the end of the film - and she sang like an angel. And the words she sang are the ones I'm looking for. I've googled all over the place but can't find what I want.
I'm hoping that the clever people on mudcat will be able to help.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On Wings Of Song (Eng)
From: Dale Rose
Date: 24 Feb 98 - 01:17 PM

http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/heine/mendel34.2.html

Check this one out. (I hope it works for you) It has everything you want and a whole lot more.

Subject: Lyr Add: AUF FLÜGELN DES GESANGES/ON WINGS OF SONG
From: Dale Rose
Date: 24 Feb 98 - 01:09 PM

OK, this is copy/paste from columns in German and English. We shall see how that translates. I will add the line breaks and see what happens. I hope it is not just a total wipeout. I got it from this site, which has lyrics to lieder and art songs, and apparently a whole lot more than that. I did not explore too far, but it looks to be an excellent site for such.

AUF FLÜGELN DES GESANGES (ON WINGS OF SONG)
Text by Heinrich Heine (1797-1856)
Set by Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847), op. 34. no 2
 

Auf Flügeln des Gesanges,
                                  On wings of song,
Herzliebchen, trag ich dich fort,
                                  my love, I'll carry you away
Fort nach den Fluren des Ganges,
                                  to the fields of the Ganges
Dort weiß ich den schönsten Ort;
                                  Where I know the most beautiful place.

Dort liegt ein rotblühender Garten
                                  There lies a red-flowering garden,
Im stillen Mondenschein,
                                  in the serene moonlight,
Die Lotosblumen erwarten
                                  the lotus-flowers await
Ihr trautes Schwesterlein.
                                  Their beloved sister.

Die Veilchen kichern und kosen,
                                  The violets giggle and cherish,
Und schaun nach den Sternen empor,
                                  and look up at the stars,
Heimlich erzählen die Rosen
                                  The roses tell each other secretly
Sich duftende Märchen ins Ohr.
                                  Their fragant fairy-tales.

Es hüpfen herbei und lauschen
                                  The gentle, bright gazelles,
Die frommen, klugen Gazelln,
                                  pass and listen;
Und in der Ferne rauschen
                                  and in the distance murmurs
Des heilgen Stromes Welln.
                                  The waves of the holy stream.

Dort wollen wir niedersinken
                                  There we will lay down,
Unter dem Pamenbaum,
                                  under the palm-tree,
Und Liebe und Ruhe trinken,
                                  and drink of love and peacefulness
Und träumen seligen Traum.
                                  And dream our blessed dream.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On Wings Of Song (Eng)
From:
Date: 24 Feb 98 - 10:43 AM

Dale, Thanks for the info though I cannot get access to that website on my server. What a pity. Anyway thanks.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On Wings Of Song (Eng)
From: Dale Rose
Date: 23 Feb 98 - 06:25 PM

John McCormack recorded this as noted below. Whether I have a recording of it, or even whether a commercial recording exists, I have not figured out yet. There is helpful information listed though which might give clues to others who know more about classical music.

On Wings of Song ("Auf Flügeln des Gesänges") (Heinrich Heine/Felix Mendelssohn, Op. 34, No. 2)
broadcast (1 January 1927)
broadcast (10 February 1933)

From the John McCormack site at http://www.moontower.com/pwworth/index.html

Subject: Lyr Req: On Wings Of Song (Eng)
From:
Date: 22 Feb 98 - 08:44 PM

I played this piece by Mendelssohn on piano before and recently I heard it being sung in a movie. I would like to have the lyrics. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.