ACCOMPANYING SCHUBERT'S DER LINDENBAUM

This article first appeared in Piano Journal 18/52, February 1997, pp. 15-21.
Here it is slightly revised and includes, at the end of the article, a photograph of the original tree, which fell in 1912, and a beautiful colour photograph of the replacement tree.
Piano Journal is published by the European Piano Teachers Association.
This web version is dated 25 April 2000, revised 12 August 2005.

    Der Lindenbaum                  The Linden Tree                           

1.  Am Brunnen vor dem Tore         By the well in front of the [village] gate

    da steht ein Lindenbaum;        there stands a linden tree;               

    ich träumt' in seinem Schatten  I dreamt in its shade                     

    so manchen süssen Traum.        many a sweet dream.                       

2.  Ich schnitt in seine Rinde      I carved in its bark                      

    so manches liebe Wort;          many a word of love;                      

    es zog in Freud' und Leide      in joy and in sorrow it drew              

    zu ihm mich immer fort.         me ever to it.                            

3.  Ich musst' auch heute wandern   Once more today I had to wander           

    vorbei in tiefer Nacht,         past it in the dead of night,             

    da hab' ich noch im Dunkel      and even in the darkness                  

    die Augen zugemacht.            I closed my eyes [rested and dreamt].     

4.  Und seine Zweige rauschten,     And its branches rustled                  

    als riefen sie mir zu:          as if they were calling to me             

    komm her zu mir, Geselle,       'Come here to me, friend,                 

    hier find'st du deine Ruh'!     here you will find your rest.'            

5.  Die kalten Winde bliesen        The cold winds blew                       

    mir grad' in's Angesicht,       straight into my face,                    

    der Hut flog mir vom Kopfe,     my hat flew from my head,                 

    ich wendete mich nicht.         but I did not turn around.                

6.  Nun bin ich manche Stunde       Now I am many hours' journey              

    entfernt von jenem Ort,         away from that place;                     

    und immer hör' ich's rauschen:  but still I hear the rustling:            

    du fändest Ruhe dort!           'You would find rest there!'              

但又豈是一個謝子了得

菩堤亦是眾生中的一個螞蟻 盲然地跟著前面人的腳步 履步為艱地在人生的旅程中慢慢地爬著 唯恐踏錯了一步就掉入深淵

常常看著無際的天空 想到自己的渺小 想著如果要在宇宙之外看到我 我又會是在那裏? 不過是隻偶而來到這世上的螞蟻 頓時自己對自己在人世的存在的價值起了個問號

菩堤承上主的開啟 只是盡自己所能做的 做一些自己認為有益眾生的事 秉持一顆純真的菩堤心 愛人敬人 但若要稱菩堤為菩薩 菩堤可是要鑽到地底下去了