German Language Blog
Menu
Search

Learn German with music: Roger Cicero – “Wovon träumst du nachts?” Posted by on Mar 9, 2012 in Culture, Music

One of our Facebook followers asked for the translation of Roger Cicero’s song “Wovon träumst du nachts?” (lit. What are you dreaming of at night?)

Roger Cicero is a German jazz musician. He has devoted himself to music since childhood. At the age of 11 he was the support act of Helen Vita, a Swiss chansonnier. Later in his life, he learned to play the piano and the guitar. Finally, he studied Jazz music at the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten (Amsterdamer Hochschule für Künste / Amsterdam High School of Arts) in the Netherlands. Cicero was born 6 July 1970 in Berlin. His full name is Roger Marcel Cicero Ciceu.

 

Wovon träumst du nachts?

What are you dreaming of at night?

Sie war wie eine wilde Blütedie durch Natürlichkeit betört,

und deren ungezähmte Schönheit

im Grunde gar keinem gehört.

In der Gefangenschaft deiner Hände

plötzlich mit Dornen sich bewehrt.

 

Du hast versucht ´n Zaun um sie zu ziehen,

ertränktest sie in reinem Adrenalin.

Du hast all ihre Träume ausradiert,

ihre Lauterkeit mit Zweifeln bombardiert..

Du dachtest alles bleibt beim Alten.

Du hast gedacht du kannst sie halten,

wenn du sie nur gut genug bewachst

Und wovon träumst du nachts?

 

Sie war der Sturm in deinen Segeln

Aber wie fesselt man den Wind?

Sie irrte ziellos durch die Gassen

in deinem Stimmungslabyrinth.

Jetzt kannst du nur noch hilflos zusehen

wie sie dir durch die Finger rinnt.

 

Du hast versucht ´n Zaun um sie zu ziehen,

ertränktest sie in reinem Adrenalin.

Du hast all ihre Träume ausradiert,

ihre Lauterkeit mit Zweifeln bombardiert..

Du dachtest alles bleibt beim Alten.

Du hast gedacht du kannst sie halten,

wenn du sie nur gut genug bewachst

Und wovon träumst du nachts?

She was like a wild blossomthat infatuated by her naturalness

And whose untamed beauty

did actually not belong to anyone.

In the captivity of your hands

she suddenly armed herself with thorns.

 

You tried to set up a fence around her,

drowning her in pure adrenaline.

You’ve erased all her dreams,

bombed her purity with doubts.

You thought that nothing will ever change

You thought you can keep her at your side,

if you’d only watch her well enough.

And of what are you dreaming of at night?

 

She was the storm in your sails.

But how do you chain the wind?

Aimlessly, she wandered through the alleys of your labyrinth of mood.

Now you can only helplessly watch

How she trickles through your fingers.

 

You tried to set up a fence around her,

drowning her in pure adrenaline.

You’ve erased all her dreams,

bombed her purity with doubts.

You thought that nothing will ever change

You thought you can keep her at your side,

if you’d only watch her well enough.

And of what are you dreaming of at night?

Tags: ,
Keep learning German with us!

Build vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and more with Transparent Language Online. Available anytime, anywhere, on any device.

Try it Free Find it at your Library
Share this:
Pin it

About the Author: Sandra Rösner

Hello everybody! I studied English and American Studies, Communication Science, and Political Science at the University of Greifswald. Since I have been learning English as a second language myself for almost 20 years now I know how difficult it is to learn a language other than your native one. Thus, I am always willing to keep my explanations about German grammar comprehensible and short. Further, I am inclined to encourage you to speak German in every situation. Regards, Sandra


Comments:

  1. Louis Lodge:

    Thanks for this, Sandra!

    Just one point:
    “if you’d only watch her good enough”
    should read
    “if you’d only watch her well enough”.

    LL

  2. Sandra Rösner:

    Thank you Louis, I will change that. 🙂