SCHUBERT: THE MAID OF THE MILL

 

1 –WANDERING

To wander is a miller's joy to wander

How useless would a miller be who did not wish the world to see to wander?

We learn it from the water's flow the water

It never rests by night and day, It is always rushing on its way the water

We learn it as the millwheels turn the millwheels

All day the spin beside the mill you never see them standing still the millwheels

The millstone's heavy as they are the millstones

They join in the merry, dance going faster if they have the chance the millstones

To wander then is my delight to wander

Had I their blessing and goodwill I'd leave the master and the mill and wander

2-WHITHER

I heard a streamlet gushing from a mountain spring I know

Its cool fresh water rushing to the valley down below

I know not what compelled me what notion filled my brain

but I must follow where it goes with my stout walking cane

so downward ever further I will follow its rushing flow

Its even fresher and cooler the further on I go

Is this the path to follow? Oh streamlet tell me where,

did you mean with your babbling my senses to ensnare?

Why do I speak of babbling, that sound it cannot be

It is water nymphs I'm hearing that dance and sing for me

So sing on my friends and babble and go your happy way

In every rushing streamlet the merry' wheels play

3- HALT BY THE BROOK

See the mill there brightly gleaming

thro the green elder trees

The noise of the mill wheels joins in the reprise

Its so welcome sweetest song of the mill

And the house looks so friendly and the windows so bright

And the sunlight its brightness from heaven is sent

Oh streamlet dearest streamlet so is this what you meant

4- ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO THE BROOK

So was this what you meant my fast flowing friend

your singing your babbling so was this what you meant?

To the millers daughter go I understand you now, yes

Is this your message? To the fair maiden go

Did she send you here or did you charm my ear

I so want to know was it she sent you here?

How ever it may be I'll yield willingly

What I search for I found it here whatever it may be

I wanted to work I've found all I need

for my hands and my heart

5-AFTERWORK

With a thousand arms to aid me

I could drive the mill wheels wildly

With the strength of the storm winds blowing

I could keep the millstones going

So the lovely maiden knew, that my heart was ever true

Ah, why are my arms so weak, what I lift and what I carry

What I chop and what I fell, any lad can do as well

And I sit where all the family gather

In the cool of evening when work is over

And the miller said with pride, with your work I'm satisfied

And the darling maiden said, goodnight all its time for bed

6- THE INQUIRER

I need not ask the flowers, I'll ask no gleaming star

Not one of them can ever tell me,

what I so long to hear of flowers I know so little,

the stars are far to high my little stream will tell me,

if my poor heart could lie

Oh dearest little streamlet today you are serene

I only want to hear one word over and over again

Yes is the word I hope for, the other word is no

And these two words embrace all the world that I know

Oh dearest little streamlet,

how wondrous you can be

My lips are sealed, I give my word

say streamlet does she love me?

7-IMPATIENCE

I’ll carve it on the bark of every tree

Engrave it into every stone I see

In flower beds I'll sow the seeds of cress

That quickly grow to show all I express

On every scrap of paper let me now endorse

My heart is yours, it’s ever yours

I'd like to train a starling patiently

To say my words so pure and clearly

To say them with the likeness of my voice

With all the love that makes my heart rejoice

Then it could brightly sing before her window pane

My heart is yours, and ever will remain

Ill whisper into the morning breeze

I'd like to hear it rustling thro the trees

Oh let it shine from every starry flower

to bring a fragrance to her everywhere

Oh stream are millwheel songs your only one refrain

My heart is yours. and ever will remain

I thought it must be shining from my eyes

And on my burning cheeks where blushes rise

Oh on my silent lips it must be read

And with each breath my thoughts are loudly said

But of my anxious longing she shows no concern

My heart is yours, and ever will remain

8- MORNING GREETING

Good morning millers daughter fair,

Why do you hide away in there

As if your heart was grieving

Could you not even say hello

or does my glance displease you so

Then I will now be leaving

Oh let me only stand again

And gaze at your dear windowpane

But only from afar

Oh little golden head appear

Come forth those round blue eyes so clear

And shine like morning stars

Oh eves still closed where dreams pursue

Oh dainty flowers weighed down with dew

Why do you hide from sunlight

Was it a pleasant night of sleep

Made you bow down and close and weep

For all her silent delight

Your veil of dreams can now be shed

And bright and freely raise your head

To greet God's radiant day break

The lark trills higher in the skies

Yet deep within my heart there cries

The pain of love and heartache

9- THE MILLER'S FLOWERS

Along the stream grow little blue flowers

They gaze up at me like clear blue eyes

The stream and the miller in friendship unite,

My sweetheart's blue eyes are shining bright

So they are my own flowers

Ill kneel beneath her windowsill

And plant my flowers when all is still

And when at night she lays her head

They'll call to her the words I've said

Yes, they know all my heart's desires

And when her eyes in slumber close

She'll sleep in sweetest, sweet repose

And while she dreams still whisper yet

Forget me not, do not forget

That is what I would want to say

She opens her shutters at break of day

Then gaze towards lovingly

And in your eyes the morning dew

Are all the tears I wept on you

From all my silent weeping

10- TEAR DROPS

We sat so closely together

Where elder trees gave shade

So happy to be with each other

We watched where the waters cascade

The moon appeared above us

The stars began to gleam

They closely watched us together

In the mirror of the stream

The moon was no distraction

Nor were the stars that shine

I only saw her reflection

And only her eyes held mine

I watched the nodding and dancing

Up from the happy brook

The little blue flowers around us

Reflected her nod and her look

And then below the water

The whole bright sky appeared

It wanted to lure me downward

Into its deepest bed

And over the clouds and the stars below

The merry' stream rippled along

And called to me, brother, my brother

Come and follow my gurgling song

And then our smooth mirror was ruffled

From tears that I could not restrain

She said I must go home now

Goodbye, its starting to rain.

11 - MINE

Streamlet rush along no more

Millwheels cease your endless roar

And you merry song birds all large and small

End your melodious call

Thro the trees on the breeze

Let this day one reprise

That the millers daughter is mine

Springtime are these little flowers your best display

Sun have you no more brighter ray

Ah I must be quite alone with that precious word, my own

Understood by no one in creation

12- PAUSE

Now lily lute is to the wall consigned

And a green ribbon I have around it entwined

My heart is so full, what songs can there be

No more can its sweet rhymes be drawn from me

All my longing, all the burning pain

Could be eased in a light hearted song once again

And my lamenting so gentle and sweet

Knowing that my suffering was so great

Oh how great this joy weighs on my heart

That no sound on all the earth can from it part

So dearest lute now rest there on your nail

And when the breezes sighing pass over your strings

Or bees passing by may brush you with their wings

Then I'll be uneasy, fear will then prevail

Oh why did I leave the ribbon hanging long

Fluttering on the strings often breathing a song

Is it the echo of my loves pain?

is it a prelude to new songs again?

13- THE GREEN RIBBON

That lovely ribbon green as jade

It’s sad to leave it there to fade

And I'm so fond of green

That's what my sweetheart said today

I'll send it to her right away

For she is fond of green

Though he you love is pale and white

Its green that gives you most delight

So I am also fond of green

Since distance proves that hope is green

So evergreen will love remain

That's why we are so fond of green

Now take the ribbon and with care

Entwine it fondly in your hair

You are so fond of green

Then I know where my hope is found

Then I'll know where my loves enthroned

Then I shall really love green

14- THE HUNTER

Now what does the hunter seek here by the mill

For here there's no hunting. no game can he kill

So impudent hunter stay in your domain

there's just a tame doe here and mine she'll remain

And if my young doe you are wanting to meet

Your rifle must stay in the woods out of sight

And leave all your yelping hound dogs at home

And stop all that noise with your hunting horn

And shave from your chin all that bristly hair

Unless my young doe you are wanting to scare

Still better stay deep in the woods where you're known

And go from the mill and leave millers alone

What would fishes do in the branch of a tree

And what would a squirrel do in the blue sea

So impudent huntsman stay where you belong

The millwheels are mine and they turn to my song

But if its my sweetheart you want in the end

Then, know you what troubles her heart my friend

It’s during the night when wild boars root around

And trample her cabbage patch into the ground

So if its a hero you want her to see

Then shoot the wild boars and a hero you'll be

15- JEALOUSY AND PRIDE

Beloved stream why flow so fast and wild today

Do you enraged pursue the huntsman on his way

Turn back, and scold the millers daughter first

For all the fickleness her wanton ways suggest,

Turn back

Did you not see her last night standing at the gate

Her long neck craning looking down the road so late

When from the hunt the huntsman carries home the kill

What modest girl would lean across her window sill?

Go streamlet, go say that to her, go streamlet and say that to her

But not one word, hear me, no word, about my melancholy face,

Say this he cuts a reed to make a pipe to play

And blows for children pretty songs and dances gay

16- THE FAVOURITE COLOUR

I'll dress in green for sorrow

The green of weeping willow

My love is fond of green

I'll find a cypress sanctuary,

Or a heath of the greenest rosemary'

My love is fond of green

Away thro heathland and meadow

The merry' hunt to follow

My love is fond of the hunt

The game I will seek is that of death

The heathland, I'll call it my path of grief

My love is fond of the hunt

Dig me a grave in clover

With greenest turf to cover

My love is fond of green

No cross of black, no flowers that fade

Green, only green where I am laid

My love is fond of green

17- THE ODIOUS COLOUR

I'd like to leave and in the world go forth

Go forth now to see the wide world

If it were not so green out there in forest and in the field

I'd like to strip all the leaves so green

from every branch in sight

I'd like then to weep on the grass so green

Weep, till it's deathly white

Ah green, I hate the colour now

It looks at me always, so proud, so brash, so gloatingly

And me a pale and wretched man

I'd like to lie down before her door in storm, in rain and hail

And softly I'd sing by day and night

The word I'd sing is farewell

Yet when the hunting horn shall sound

Then clicks her window latch

And though she does not look for me,

A sight of her I may catch

Untie that ribbon from your brow that green. green band

Farewell, but give to me once more a parting hand

18- WITHERED FLOWERS

You little flowers that to me she gave

Shall all lie with me in my cool grave

You gaze at me with such sympathy

Do you then know what is happening to me?

You little flowers so sad, so pale

Why are you all so moist, so frail?

Ah tears will not make the green spring return

And a love that's dead cannot blossom again

Yet spring will come. and the winter will pass

And flowers will bloom once more in the grass

The little flowers lying in my grave

Are all the flowers that to me she gave

And when she wanders by the mound where I'm laid

Her heart will say, for true love he died

Then all you flowers come out at last

For spring is here and the winter is past

19 - THE MILLER AND THE BROOK

When a heart so faithful from love has died

In every flower bed the lilies fade

And into the veiling clouds the full moon must flee

Concealing her tear drops so no man may see

And dear little angels will cover their eves

And sobbing will calm the soul with sweet lullaby's

And when love is striving from sorrow to fly

A new star that brightly shines appears in the sky

Then three roses open, half white and half red

Which never will whither on their thorny bed

And the dear little angels are clipping their wings

And come down upon the earth to see

what each morning brings

Oh streamlet, dearest streamlet, you're kind and true

But streamlet do you really know what love can do?

Ah under your surface lies a cooling peace

Ah streamlet, dearest streamlet, sing on and never cease

20- THE BROOK'S LULLABY

Close your eyes, close your eyes to my lullaby’s

Weary wanderer you are home at last

Rest here with me and find consistency

Till the stream is embraced by the ocean so vast

On a pillow I've made, let your head be laid

In a small chamber where crystal blue waters lie

Ever on, ever on and cradle my son

Rock him to sleep with a sweet lullaby

When the horn and the hound

Thro the green wood sound

In a surging torrent I'll stir up the streams

Let him sleep, flowers of blue do not peep

You may cause my sleeper to grieve in his dreams

Go away wretched girl, from the mill path stay

Lest you’re shadow may cause him to wake

And as you leave throw in your handkerchief

And for his eyes a fine cover I'll make

Goodnight, goodnight, till all is light

Sleep thro your happiness, sleep on thro your pain

The full moon appears the mist soon clears

And the heaven above us so vast will remain

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