Lyr Req: Song Is Ended (in German, from R Tauber)

Subject: The Song Is Ended
From: GUEST,Bombix Mori
Date: 16 Mar 06 - 12:11 PM

I have made an mp3 from an old LP recording of 'The Song Is Ended', Sung by Richard Tauber in 1928, in German. I would love to find someone who could transcribe the words so I can perform the song in both English and German. I would be happy to trade one of my 'rare' 30s French Song translations...

Subject: ADD: The Song Is Ended (Irving Berlin)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Mar 06 - 01:43 PM

Well, if you like, I might be able to work out a transcription of the German. You can e-mail the MP3 to me, [e-mail] - I can't handle attachments bigger than 1 MB, though.
I think I've been able to verify that the song is the one written by Irving Berlin, so I have the English lyrics on hand. I thought I had the Tauber recording of that song, but I can't find it.
-Joe Offer-

The Song Is Ended (But the Melody Lingers On)
(Irving Berlin, 1927)

VERSE
My thoughts go back to a heavenly dance,
A moment of bliss we spend;
Our hearts were filled with a song of romance
As into the night we went
And sang to our hearts' content.

CHORUS
The song is ended.
But the melody lingers on;
You and the song are gone,
But the melody lingers on.
The night was splendid,
And the melody seemed to say,
"Summer will pass away;
Take your happiness while you may."
There neath the light of the moon
We sang a love song that ended too soon;
The moon descended
And I found with the break of dawn,
You and the song had gone,
But the melody lingers on.


from The Complete Lyrics of Irving Berlin (Robert Kimball, 2001)

Subject: RE: The Song Is Ended (Richard Tauber German Record)
From: GUEST,Bombix Mori
Date: 16 Mar 06 - 02:29 PM

I would be eternally grateful. I already perform the song in English, which is the only version I've been able to find (I have the 1934 sheet music). There's no reference to the name of the German lyricist on the album and the track is referred to as "The Song Is Ended" by Irving Berlin. I can email it to you or upload it to my site and give you the link, whichever is easier.

Thanks again!

Bombie

Subject: RE: The Song Is Ended (Richard Tauber German Recor
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Mar 06 - 02:38 PM

Hi, Bombie - probably, it's more reliable to upload it to your Website and e-mail me a link - or post a link here.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: The Song Is Ended (Richard Tauber German Recor
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 07:32 AM

Is it really a song by Irving Berlin?
There is a song with the title Das Lied ist aus sung by Richard Tauber, Marlene Dietrich and others (The first line: Frag' nicht, warum ich gehe = Don't ask why I'm going).
There is also a picture with the same name, several books, and the phrase has a double meaning: The song is ended or the song is from ...
This makes the search so difficult.
Check the tune in Hildegard Knef, nr 9 (RealPlayer) whether it is the right tune.

Subject: RE: The Song Is Ended (Richard Tauber German Recor
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 07:46 AM

But don't think a librarian gives up so easily!

Frag nicht, warum ich gehe, frag nicht warum
Was immer auch geschehe, frag nicht warum
Ich kann dir nur mehr sagen, ich hab dich lieb
Das Schönste im Leben wollt ich dir geben

Frag mich bloss nicht das eine, frag nicht warum
Frag nicht, warum ich weine, frag nicht warum
Wir gehen auseinander, morgen kuesst dich die andre
Dann wirst du nicht mehr fragen, warum

Das Lied ist aus, das du fuer mich gesungen
Beim letzten Klang war mir nach dir so bang
Das Lied ist aus, die Melodie verklungen
Nichts blieb von der Musik zurück
Ein Echo nur von Liebe

Die Rosen die du mir gebracht,
Sind jetzt ein welker Blumenstrauss - das Lied ist aus

Frag nicht, warum ich gehe, frag nicht warum
Was immer auch geschehe, frag nicht warum
Ich kann dir nur mehr sagen, ich hab dich lieb
Das Schoenste im Leben wollt ich dir geben

Frag mich bloss nicht das eine, frag nicht warum
Frag nicht, warum ich weine, frag nicht warum
Wir gehen auseinander, morgen kuesst dich die andre
Dann wirst du nicht mehr fragen, warum


The Reference
Tune by Robert Stolz

Subject: The Song Is Ended (Richard Tauber German Record)
From: GUEST,Bombix Mori
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 09:20 AM

Danke!

I've uploaded the song for you anyway -- it's a pre-electric recording so you know what to expect, but if you like Tauber, I think you'll enjoy it:

http://www.bombixmori.com/mp3s/The%20Song%20is%20Ended.mp3

If you have any trouble connecting to it, please let me know -- You should be able to connect to the mp3s directory and click on it if the direct link doesn't work.

\Ö/

Bombie

Subject: RE: The Song Is Ended (Richard Tauber German Record)
From: GUEST,Bombix Mori
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 10:44 PM

Alas, The lyrics posted don't seem to be the same as the version Tauber sings, so I'm back to square one. If you check out the mp3 I linked, you will be able to hear Tauber's lyrics. I don't speak German, but I can make out some words from the songs I already sing in German. I hope that someone who speaks German can help me out... I knew it wasn't going to be that easy (nothing good every is)!

Regards,

Bombie

Subject: RE: The Song Is Ended (Richard Tauber German Recor
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Mar 06 - 02:55 AM

Hi, Bombie - well, this was humbling. I used to transcribe East German phone calls for a living (hey, I was a spy in Berlin), and I thought my "ear" was pretty good.
On this on, I can barely hear anything - Lied, Erinnerung, Dämmerung, Glück, Märchen, and a couple other words - nothing that makes sense. It doesn't follow the original Irving Berlin text very closely, so that's no help - but I'm sure it is the Irving Berlin song. Maybe Wilfried can help us.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: The Song Is Ended (Richard Tauber German Record)
From: GUEST,Bombix Mori
Date: 18 Mar 06 - 11:27 AM

Thanks to everyone who has considered helping with this!

I've had the same trouble transcribing the old French songs. One song literally took years to figure out with the help of several native French speaking friends, and it's still only 95%. So much music has been lost in the pre-computer age, even when it was lucky enough to be recorded by a singing star!

If anyone is willing to give it a try, we might be able to come up with something that makes sense. I don't speak German, but I have a good ear and an online dictionary. I can try it sentence by sentence, for example, I've come up with:

Die ist vergangen, doch sein rosen auf bliebt du richt, (leisayar?) bringst musik, doch es wag nur ein traum vom Glück...

I know this is wrong, but a German/English speaker might be able to zero in on the correct phrase.

So as not to drive Mudcat crazy with this thread, I propose that anyone willing to help in transcribing this song email me at:

labombee-at-gmail.com (spelled out to avoid spammers)

I don't have much to offer in trade, except maybe some old recordings, and quite a few rare French transcribed and charted songs.

TIA,

Bombie

Subject: RE: The Song Is Ended (Richard Tauber German Recor
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Mar 06 - 12:43 PM

Pretty good, Bombie. Here's what I make of that last line:

Die ist vergangen, doch sein rosen auf bliebt du richt, (leisayar?) bringst musik, doch es wag nur ein traum vom Glück...

Die ist vergangen
she is gone
Doch ein Rose nur bliebt ....
only a rose remains
Leise er bringt Musik
quietly it brings music
Doch es war nur ein Traum von Glück
but it was only a dream of happiness


I looked Tauber up last night. Sounds like he had quite a career as a singer. He died in 1948.

This is the kind of stuff we love to do here. Let's keep at it until we have it - and let's do it in this thread, so we can work together on it.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: The Song Is Ended (Richard Tauber German Record)
From: Wolfgang
Date: 19 Mar 06 - 04:49 PM

It is difficult, but I have found a part of what Tauber sings in that MP3 in a medley from the Comedian Harmonists (on this site:

Das Lied der Liebe, in der Dämmerung klingt es nach.
Leise nur schwingt es nach. Die Erinnerung singt es nach.
Sie ist gegangen, doch ein Rosenduft blieb zurück.
Leise erklingt Musik. Ach es war nur ein Traum vom Glück.
Zart wie ein letzter Akkord
schwingt mir im Herzen noch fort jedes Wort.
Das Lied der Liebe, in der Dämmerung klingt es nach.
Leise nur schwingt es nach. Die Erinnerung singt es nach.

Maybe more at a later time.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: The Song Is Ended (Richard Tauber German Record)
From: Wolfgang
Date: 19 Mar 06 - 05:02 PM

So, that's the result of a quick listening. Don't quote me!!! :-)
The first part is what comes before the part above and the last what comes after:
Die Nacht war schwer von dem zärtlichen Duft
des Flieders, der aufgeblüht.
Ein Märchen lag in der silbernen Luft,
Dein Wort mir mein Glück verriet,
von fern(e) erklang ein Lied





Sie ist gegangen, doch ein Rosenduft blieb zurück,
leise erklingt Musik,
doch es war nur ein Traum vom Glück.

Wolfgang (doing translations only on workdays)

Subject: RE: The Song Is Ended (Richard Tauber German Recor
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 20 Mar 06 - 03:31 AM

And these are the words you can find on the same site Wolfgang found (last medley of the page, down, down below):

Das Lied der Liebe, in der Dämmerung klingt es nach.
Leise nur schwingt es nach. Die Erinnerung singt es nach.
Sie ist gegangen, doch ein Rosenduft blieb zurück.
Leise erklingt Musik. Ach es war nur ein Traum vom Glück.
Zart wie ein letzter Akkord
schwingt mir im Herzen noch fort jedes Wort.
Das Lied der Liebe, in der Dämmerung klingt es nach.
Leise nur schwingt es nach. Die Erinnerung singt es nach.

Seems to lack the line "Das Lied ist aus".

Subject: RE: The Song Is Ended (Richard Tauber German Record)
From: GUEST,Bombix Mori
Date: 20 Mar 06 - 11:57 AM

This illustrates the importance of having someone who truly knows the language to transcribe it. Left to my own devices I would have had the melody singing in the night, while the dawn brought laughter. \Ö/

Thank you so much for working this out for me. I am forever grateful. I'll keep an eye out just in case I can ever be of help to someone myself.

Yea!

Subject: RE: The Song Is Ended (Richard Tauber German Record)
From: GUEST,Joe_F
Date: 20 Mar 06 - 08:32 PM

I don't know German either, but it may be worth noting that, at least according to Cassell's, "Das Lied ist aus", in addition to its literal meaning, is an idiom for "It's all over".

--- Joe Fineman    [e-mail]

||: Ice belongs in bourbon, not underfoot. :||