The following song facts and translation (see translation resource) is provided by German teacher Bernd Hendricks, author of "Ach ich fühl's - German for Opera Singers in Three Acts: Studying, Speaking, Singing" which is currently available here on Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Ach-ich-fühls-Studying-Speaking/dp/1312463457/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413880914&sr=8-1&keywords=Ach+ich+fühl%27s+German+for+Opera+Singers
Mr. Hendricks also has a blog with helpful information on German repertoire at https://achichfuehls.wordpress.com
In this opera by Richard Strauss, taking place in 19th century Vienna, a rich man has hired Zerbinetta and her vaudeville troupe and the composer (der Komponist) with his opera seria Ariadne auf Naxos. The Komponist is upset beyond belief when he learns that both works have to be performed at the same time. Zerbinetta persuades him to play along. He is smitten by her, and they share a rare moment of connection. All tension falls away from his heart, and as soon as she leaves he proclaims to his impresario (der Musiklehrer), ?Seien wir wieder gut.?
The text speaks the language of forgiveness and relief when he sees alles mit anderen Augen, of surrender and the bottomless naivité of a pure artist. Librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal does not bother to instill complicated grammar into the text in addition to the vocabulary of passion to describe the inner turbulence of an equally complicated character.
The following translation and additional information (see song facts) is provided by German teacher Bernd Hendricks, author of "Ach ich fühl's - German for Opera Singers in Three Acts: Studying, Speaking, Singing" which is currently available here on Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Ach-ich-fühls-Studying-Speaking/dp/1312463457/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413880914&sr=8-1&keywords=Ach+ich+fühl%27s+German+for+Opera+Singers
Mr. Hendricks also has a blog with helpful information on German repertoire at https://achichfuehls.wordpress.com
Sei?n wir wieder gut!
Let's be good again!
Ich sehe jetzt alles mit anderen Augen!
?Now, I see everything with different eyes.?
Die Tiefen des Daseins sind unermesslich!
The depths of existence are immeasurable!
Mein lieber Freund,
My dear friend,
Es gibt manches auf der Welt,
There are some things in the world
Das lässt sich nicht sagen,
That cannot be said.
Die Dichter unterlegen ja recht gute Worte, recht gute
Well (ja), the poets use pretty good words, pretty good ones
Jedoch, jedoch, jedoch, jedoch, jedoch! ?
However, however, however, however, however!
Mut ist in mir, Mut, Freund!
Courage is in me, courage, friend!
Die Welt ist lieblich
The world is lovely
Und nicht fürchterlich dem Mutigen.
And not terrible to the courageous one
Und was ist denn Musik?
So (denn), what is music?
Musik ist eine heilige Kunst zu versammeln
Music is a sacred art to gather
Alle Arten von Mut wie Cherubim
All kinds of courage, like cherubim
Um einen strahlenden Thron, das ist Musik.
Around a shining throne; that is music.
Und darum ist sie die heilige unter den Künsten.
And therefore, it is the sacred one among the arts.
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Vocabulary
die Tiefen (plural) = die Tiefe, noun created from the adjective tief (deep)
die Tiefe = depth
das Dasein = existence as a philosophical term; da (there, here) + sein (to be)
unermesslich = immeasurable, fathomless
manches = some things, derived from the pronoun and the article word manch = some
unterlegen = to add text to music, here: use
recht gut = pretty good
lieblich = lovely
fürchterlich = horrible, dreadful
der Mutige = noun indicating a person and derived from the adjective mutig; a person who is courageous
versammeln = to gather
Grammar
Imperative: An imperative is a command where the verb takes the first position in the sentence and has its own form. The verb sein (to be) is normally conjugated as ?ich bin, du bist, er ist, wir sind etc.? In imperative sein turns into ?sei (for du), seien Sie (for Sie), ?seien wir (for us). The first line Sei'n wir wieder gut is a forceful encouragement to people that includes also the speaker (or singer), the Komponist.
Passive: The combination reflexive + lassen + infinitive expresses a form of the passive voice when something can be done or is possible to be done. Das lässt sich nicht sagen = literally it lets itself not be said.
Particle: A particle, in this text ja and denn, is a little word that expresses an emotion or an attitude. Here, the particle ja prepares the listener for an opposing or restrictive statement which opens with jedoch (however). The particle denn in ?Was ist denn Musik?? functions as an intensifier for a rhetorical question.
Dative: A dative is a certain role a noun plays in a sentence. (In German there are four.) The noun der Mutige in the phrase fürchterlich dem Mutigen appears as dative. Der Mutige is the indirect object and therefore must be expressed as dative.
Pronoun: The Komponist praises die Musik (feminine) and later refers to the music with the pronoun sie (she).