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Süßer Freund, du blickest Mich verwundert an, Kannst es nicht begreifen, Wie ich weinen kann; Laß der feuchten Perlen Ungewohnte Zier [Freudenhell erzittern In den Wimpern mir]1. Wie so bang mein Busen, Wie so wonnevoll! Wüßt' ich nur mit Worten, Wie ich's sagen soll; Komm und [birg]2 dein Antlitz Hier an meiner Brust, Will in's Ohr dir flüstern Alle meine Lust. Hab' ob manchen Zeichen Mutter schon gefragt, Hat die gute Mutter Alles mir gesagt, Hat mich unterwiesen, Wie, nach allem Schein, Bald für eine Wiege Muß gesorget sein. Weißt du nun die Thränen, Die ich weinen kann? Sollst du nicht sie sehen, Du geliebter Mann; Bleib' an meinem Herzen, Fühle dessen Schlag, Daß ich fest und fester Nur dich drücken mag. Hier an meinem Bette Hat die Wiege Raum, Wo sie still verberge Meinen holden Traum; Kommen wird der Morgen, Wo der Traum erwacht, Und daraus dein Bildniß Mir [entgegen lacht]3.
R. Schumann sets stanzas 1-2, 4-5
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Gedichte von Adelbert von Chamisso, Neunzehnte Auflage (19th edition), Berlin, Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1869, pages 13-14.
Modernized spelling would change "Thränen" to "Tränen" and "Bildniß" to "Bildnis".1 Schumann: "Freudig hell erzittern / In dem Auge mir"
2 Loewe: "bring"
3 Loewe: "entgegenlacht"
Text Authorship:
- by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838), no title, appears in Lieder und lyrisch epische Gedichte, in Frauen-Liebe und Leben, no. 6 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Elizabeth R. Austin (b. 1938), "Süßer Freund", 1999 [ mezzo-soprano or soprano and piano ], from Frauenliebe und -leben, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karl Jürgens (1879 - 1954), "Süßer Freund", op. 4 (17 Lieder) no. 11 (1927) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carl Loewe (1796 - 1869), "Süßer Freund, du blickest", op. 60 no. 6 (1836), from Frauenliebe, Liederkranz von Chamisso, no. 6 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Süßer Freund, du blickest", op. 42 no. 6 (1840), published 1843, stanzas 1-2,4-5 [ voice and piano ], from Frauenliebe und -Leben, no. 6, Leipzig, Whistling [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- CHI Chinese (中文) (Mei Foong Ang) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DAN Danish (Dansk) (Maryanna Morthensen) , "Søde ven, du ser", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Lieve vriend, wat kijk je", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Daniel Platt) , "Sweet friend, thou gazest", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Kyle Gee) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Doux ami, étonné", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- HEB Hebrew (עברית) (Max Mader) (Tsippora Samberg) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- IRI Irish (Gaelic) [singable] (Gabriel Rosenstock) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Dolce amico, tu", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- NOR Norwegian (Bokmål) (Marianne Beate Kielland) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- RUS Russian (Русский) (Natalia Vyshynska) , "Милый друг, ты смотришь", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 40
Word count: 152
Sweet friend, you look at me in awe; You can’t understand how I can weep. Let the unique ornament of glistening pearls tremble joyfully and brightly in my eyes. How anxious my heart is, and how blissful! If only I knew how to say it with words; Come and hide your face here at my breast, I want to whisper all of my excitement into your ear. Do you understand why I weep these tears now? Should you not see them, you beloved, beloved man? Stay against my heart, feel it beating, So that I may press you closer and closer to me! Here by my bed there’s room for a cradle, where it may quietly shelter my lovely dream. the morning will come when the dream awakes, and from the cradle your image smiles up at me!
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 by Kyle Gee, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Kyle Gee. Contact: kyleanthonygee (AT) gmail (DOT) com
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838), no title, appears in Lieder und lyrisch epische Gedichte, in Frauen-Liebe und Leben, no. 6
This text was added to the website: 2014-02-17
Line count: 32
Word count: 138