Yolla's Blog

Sailing through the Rhine river

My dream comes true. I have been wondering for this about year ago, as I heard about the Loreley story from Deutsche Welle German course.
Not only that, from the ship we also can see many castles, tower and ruins from 16th century.

Below quoted a poetry about the Loreley story, written by a famous German author, Heinrich Heine.

Die Loreley von Heinrich Heine (1823)

Ich weiß nicht, was soll es bedeuten,
Daß ich so traurig bin;
Ein Märchen aus alten Zeiten,
Das kommt mir nicht aus dem Sinn.

Die Luft ist kühl und es dunkelt,
Und ruhig fließt der Rhein;
Der Gipfel des Berges funkelt
Im Abendsonnenschein.

Die schönste Jungfrau sitzet
Dort oben wunderbar,
Ihr goldnes Geschmeide blitzet,
Sie kämmt ihr goldnes Haar.

Sie kämmt es mit goldnem Kamme,
Und singt ein Lied dabey;
Das hat eine wundersame,
Gewaltige Melodey.

Den Schiffer, im kleinen Schiffe,
Ergreift es mit wildem Weh;
Er schaut nicht die Felsenriffe,
Er schaut nur hinauf in die Höh'.

Ich glaube, die Wellen verschlingen
Am Ende Schiffer und Kahn;
Und das hat mit ihrem Singen
Die Loreley getan.


The Lorelei (English Version)
by Heinrich Heine, 1823
(note: English version NOT translated by me)

I cannot tell why this imagined
Sorrow has fallen on me
The ghost of an unburied legend
That will not let me be.

The air is cool, and twilight
Flows from the quiet Rhine;
A mountain alone in the high light
Catches the faltering shire.

One rosy peak half gleaming
Reveals, enthroned in air,
A goddess lost in dreaming
Who combs her golden hair.

With a golden comb she is combing
Her hair as she sings a song;
Heard and reheard in the gloaming
It hurries the night along.

The boatman has heard what has bound him
In throes of a strange, wild love.
He is blind to the reefs that surround him,
Who sees but the vision above.

And lo, the wild waters are springing -
The boat and the boatman are gone...
Then silence. And this with her singing,
The Lorelei has done.

posted by Yolla @ 9:21 AM