I dreamed something beautiful,
I dreamed and woke up suddenly.
Why did you wake me up so soon?
Why did you have to bother me?
Happiness in my life is not real,
At least in my dream it does appear.
Why did you have to disturb?
Oh my dear God, oh my dear God,
Why am I not allowed
To dream of pleasure in this world?
You told me that you don’t love me
But I could not believe it.
Don’t tell me again, don’t tell me.
Without saying I know you mean it.
And when I am aware that my face
In your heart has no more place:
Stay or leave? You want me close,
Perhaps only to please your eyes
Watching how I agonize
From the torment that you cause.
Oh, girl, you are so cruel,
Just let me get away.
We have to part forever
And go on our own way.
I would fly from you like dust
When there is wind, fly it must
To places man can never see
But I cannot move this boulder,
My sadness, that is on my shoulder
And weighs on me so heavily.
Poor me, I say goodbye to you,
Awful words I have to say.
Why don’t they die on my lips
As they come out, right away?
I cannot just yet say goodbye,
Let me hold your hand for a while,
Your hand that destroyed my happiness
And tore my future apart,
Forever breaking my heart,
To cover it with tears and kisses.
My tears or my kisses, which is
Burning your hand more intensely?
Both tears and kisses can become hot
And burn your hand immensely,
Because they both came to life
Together with my fervent love
In my burning heart, to ascend
From this glowing, hot volcano,
Like pious pilgrims who well know
That they will die on your hand.
There is only one thing I ask,
Don’t fear, it is not that you love me,
Only a little solace that
You will keep me in your memory.
How long will I stay in there?
How long will you remember?
If only until you can find
Someone whose heart throbs for you
And loves you as much as I do,
Then I’ll stay forever in your mind!
But I do not wish that you
Should not find somebody true
Like me. If I would have that wish,
I would not really love you.
I want you to live happily,
Pick some leaves from any tree,
Pick those with a fresh fragrance,
Weave together young green leaves,
Then, when old, toss out the dry wreath
That once was my remembrance.