TRANSLATION: Arnold Schoenberg's 'Pierrot Lunaire,' Op. 21 - "Heist"

Lost in the fire of last year's Pierrot centennial was translation. After all, it was Otto Erich Hartleben's German--translated from the original French of Albert Giraud--that Arnold Schoenberg had set.

And with Stanley Appelbaum's Anglicised Hartleben turning 20 next year (not to mention having its own Twitter account @PierrotTweets), Classicalite figured a new English language translation was passed due.

To wit, for the next 21 weekdays, we'll be offering a new take on each of Giraud/Hartleben/Appelbaum's 3x7 poems...alongside some of our favorite performances.

HEIST

Red, royal rubies
Bleeding drops of ancient splendor,
Slumber in coffins
Buried in the vaults below.

In the night, with his drinking buddies,
Pierrot descends to plunder
Red, royal rubies
Bleeding drops of ancient splendor.

Suddenly, they're rooted.
Scared to death, hair standing up straight,
Through the darkness--like eyes!
Staring from the coffins
Red, royal rubies.

Coming up next, Teil II: 11. "Rote Messe."

Tags

Translation, Arnold Schoenberg, Pierrot Lunaire, Teil II, Albert Giraud, Otto Erich Hartleben, Stanley Appelbaum, University of Southern California