Nadia Bi… Read Full Bio ↴Sheet music book now available on www.nadiabirkenstock.com
Nadia Birkenstock is a folk harp player and singer from Germany.
She started playing the piano at five and discovered the Celtic harp through the Scottish harp duo “Sìleas” (Patsy Seddon, Mary Macmaster).
She received her first vocal training in the USA (Westover School, Connecticut) and afterwards studied voice at the Music Conservatory of Duesseldorf in Germany.
She taught herself to play the Celtic Harp at 16 and attended masterclasses with Kim Robertson (USA), Bill Taylor (Scotland) and others.
During her vocal studies she created her first solo performance program for Celtic harp and voice and has since appeared in concerts all over Europe and in the USA.
Festival appearances include the "Sentmenat International Harp Festial (Barcelona/Spain) the “Rencontres Internationales de la Harpe Celtique” at Dinan (France, Brittany), the “Schlossfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci” (Berlin), the Venne Folk Festival, Celtic Days Hude, Keltenfest Buchberg (Switzerland).
Nadia has also appeared on tv and radio with WDR, SWR, RBB, France Musiques, Celtic World Radio Australia and others.
She also frequently plays for the Irish Embassies in Cologne, Munich and Frankfurt.
Besides her arrangements of traditional Celtic folk songs and harp tunes, her repertoire also features her own songs and compositions.
Her sheet music book "Celtic Harp & Song, Vol. 1" is coming out in Novembre 2010.
The Water Is Wide
Nadia Birkenstock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and neither have I wings to fly.
Give me a boat that will carry two
and both shall row, my love and I.
Oh down in the meadows the other day
A gath'ring flow'rs both fine and gay
A gath'ring flowers both red and blue,
I put my hand into one soft bush,
thinking the sweetest flower to find.
I pricked my finger to the bone
and left the sweetest flower alone.
There is a ship and she sails the sea,
she's loaded deep as deep can be,
but nor so deep as the love I am in;
I know not if I sink or swim.
The lyrics of Nadia Birkenstock's song "The Water Is Wide" are a wonderful example of deep meaning, poetic imagery, and melodic harmony. The first stanza expresses the singer's sense of limitation and helplessness in the face of a formidable challenge. The "water" referred to could mean any obstacle that seems insurmountable, like a river, an ocean, or an emotional hardship. The metaphorical meaning of not having wings emphasizes the singer's earthbound nature and lack of supernatural abilities. However, the second half of the stanza offers a solution, a humble request for a simple boat that would enable both the singer and the singer's love to row across the water together, in solidarity and unity, as a couple. This image is a powerful representation of love overcoming obstacles, of partnership and support, and of perseverance in the face of adversity.
The second stanza shifts the focus to a flowery meadow where the singer had a realization about the transformative power of love. The singer describes the beauty of the flowers, both "fine and gay" and "red and blue," but then discovers that mere physical beauty cannot compare to the power of love. The singer's attempt to pluck the "sweetest flower" results in pain, which could symbolize the heartache that often accompanies loving someone deeply. By leaving the flower alone, the singer acknowledges the futility of seeking love only for its surface-level attractiveness, and instead embraces the deeper, more profound aspects of it.
The third stanza introduces a ship that sails the sea and is loaded deep with cargo, yet is still not as deep as the love the singer feels. This comparison creates a sense of the immense intensity and depth of the singer's emotions, which could be positive or negative, depending on the interpretation. The last line of the stanza is ambiguous, suggesting that the singer does not know whether they will sink or swim in the turbulent sea of their love. Overall, the lyrics of "The Water Is Wide" are a beautifully poetic tribute to both the power and the uncertainty of love.
Line by Line Meaning
The water is wide, I cannot get over
The obstacle before me feels insurmountable.
and neither have I wings to fly.
I don't have the power to effortlessly overcome the obstacle.
Give me a boat that will carry two
I need help to face the obstacle.
and both shall row, my love and I.
We will face the challenge together as a team.
Oh down in the meadows the other day
I was in a happy and carefree place.
A gath'ring flow'rs both fine and gay
I was enjoying life's simple pleasures.
A gath'ring flowers both red and blue,
I was appreciating the beauty around me, regardless of its color.
I little thought what love could do.
I was not aware of the transformative power of love.
I put my hand into one soft bush,
I reached out to take what seemed like a good thing.
thinking the sweetest flower to find.
I expected to find something wonderful.
I pricked my finger to the bone
I got hurt in the process of pursuing what I thought was good for me.
and left the sweetest flower alone.
I realized that my initial perception was wrong and I let go of what I thought was sweet.
There is a ship and she sails the sea,
There is a journey that lies ahead of me.
she's loaded deep as deep can be,
It is a journey filled with immense challenges and tremendous opportunities.
but nor so deep as the love I am in;
My love for someone or something is even greater than the challenges I face.
I know not if I sink or swim.
I am uncertain of the outcome, but I am willing to take the risk and face the challenge.
Contributed by Lauren H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
lauffuss
verry nice....i love this song