Suleika D. 720 (Op. 14/1)

Composer: Franz Peter Schubert 

Poet: Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

 Questions like "What is Suleika?"

or "What does Suleika mean?" might

comes into mind. Suleika is a poem which is taken from 

Goethe's collection ' Book of Suleika'. It is intersting

to found that Goethes has interest in the East, Persia

and Muslim. It is not hard to believe that Goethe writes 

about one character that is related to one of the follower of Muslim

--Joseph. 

Suleika might come from the name of 

a wife of the King during the time of Joseph, whom she 

admires for his charming appearance.  While Goethe was

working on the poem, he gets very close to Marianne von Willemer.

It inspires him to wrote the affection from Marianne just as 

how Suleika admires Joseph. 

In Schubert setting, it started off with few 

chromatic acsendings semiquavers, 

as if the rolling of  the wind or a motion and hence the first line goes-

wondering what does the motions means.

This lied is in a modified-strophic form 

rather than through composed,as 

there are repitions of the same tune at the 

begining and the end with different verses.  

Albeit there are changes of mode in between stanzas, 

first and third in minor,

second and fourth in major, the overall idea are

 all about sceneries, the wind 

playing with the dust up to the clouds, resulting 

the swaying of leaves, and cooling 

the earth and hot cheeks. 

In each stanza, the melody interchanges with 

agitated and stillness although the 

piano accompanient are still the same, rolling 

of broken chords in semiquaver. The vocal 

line goes smooth and still in longer value in the 

middle of the songs, where she heard the wishper

of wind who carries the greetings from friends, 

as though she is receiving the thousand 

of kisses. 

Music changes into totally different pace after

 a long passage and a climax when 

she finally found her beloved. The longing of

 love is shown by the dominant pedal

point and chromatic chords, moving away 

from tonic, as though the love is eternal. It shows 

continuity, not until the last chord at the end, 

depicting the satisfaction and contentment 

of the love sweet breath that could only be 

learnt by the mouth of his beloved. 

Was bedeutet die Bewegung?

what means   the movement 

Bringt der Ost mir frohe Kunde? 

bring  the east me merry  news

Seiner Schwingen frische Regung 

his     swing    fresh   movement  

Kühlt des Herzens tiefe Wunde.  

cools  of  heart depth wound 

Kosend      spielt er mit dem  Staube, 

carresingly plays her with the dust

Jagt ihn auf in leichten Wölkchen, 

chase it on  in light    clouds

Treibt zur sichern Rebenlaube 

drives to   secure vine leaves

Der Insekten frohes Völkchen. 

the insect    merry folk

Lindert sanft der Sonne Glühen,  

ease    gently the sun  glow

Kühlt auch mir die heißen Wangen, 

cool  also me the  hot cheeks

Küßt die Reben noch im Fliehen, 

Kiss the vine more  in escape

Die auf Feld  und Hügel prangen. 

the of  field and hills resplendent 

Und mir bringt sein leises Flüstern 

and me  bring  them faint  whisper 

Von dem Freunde tausend Grüße; 

from the friend thousand greets 

Eh' noch diese Hügel düstern, 

eh  more  this hills gloomy 

Grüßen mich wohl    tausend Küsse. 

Greets my  probably thousand kiss 

Und so kannst du weiter ziehen! 

and so can   you further move 

Diene Freunden und  Betrübten. 

the   friend  and    afflicted

Dort   wo   hohe Mauern glühen, 

there where high build  glow 

Dort find' ich bald den Vielgeliebten. 

there find me  soon the belove

Ach, die wahre Herzenskunde, 

Ah   the  true   heart 

Liebeshauch, erfrischtes Leben 

Love breath   refreshing  life

Wird mir nur aus seinem Munde, 

is   me only from his    mouth 

Kann mir nur sein Athem geben.

can  me  only his breath give 

(English translation by Richard Morris)

What does the motion mean?
Does the East wind bring glad tidings?
The refreshing movement of its wings
Chills the heart's deep wound.

It plays gently with the dust,
Chasing it into light clouds.
And drives the happy insect people
to the security of the vine-leaves.

It softly tempers the sun's incandescence,
and chills my hot cheeks,
As it flees it kisses the vines
which are prominent on the fields and hills

And its soft whispering brings me
A thousand greetings from my friend
Before these hills dim,
I will be greeted by a thousand kisses.

So as you go on your way
And serve friends and the saddened.
There where high walls glow,
I shall soon find my dearly beloved.

Oh, the true message of his heart,
Loves-breath, refreshing life
Comes only from his mouth,
Can be given to me only by his breath.

Resplendant -

 having a very bright or splendid appearance

Glow-
to produce a continuous light and sometimes heat

Afflicted-
If a problem or illness afflicts a person or thing, they suffer from it

Vine-

any type of plant which climbs or grows along the ground and 

which has woody twisting stems 

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Poems of Goethe

SULEIKA.
WHAT is by this stir reveal'd?
Doth the East glad tidings bring?
For my heart's deep wounds are heal'd
By his mild and cooling wing.

He the dust with sports doth meet,
And in gentle cloudlets chase;
To the vineleaf's safe retreat
Drives the insects' happy race,

Cools these burning cheeks of mine,
Checks the sun's fierce glow Adam,
Kisses, as he flies, the vine,
Flaunting over hill and plain.

And his whispers soft convey
Thousand greetings from my friend;
Ere these hills own night's dark sway,
Kisses greet me, without end.

Thus canst thou still onward go,
Serving friend and mourner too!
 
There, where lofty ramparts glow,
Soon the loved one shall I view.

Ah, what makes the heart's truth known,--
Love's sweet breath,--a newborn life,--
Learn I from his mouth alone,
In his breath alone is rife!
                                1815. 





Reference:
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/goethe

http://www.opera-britannia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=446:miah-persson-the-wigmore-hall-16th-february-2011&catid=10&Itemid=16