I know not how thou singest, my master!

I know not how thou singest, my master! 
I ever listen in silent amazement.

The light of thy music illumines the world. 
The life breath of thy music runs from sky to sky. 
The holy stream of thy music breaks 
through all stony obstacles and rushes on.

My heart longs to join in thy song, 
but vainly struggles for a voice. 
I would speak, but speech breaks not into song, 
and I cry out baffled. 
Ah, thou hast made my heart captive 
in the endless meshes of thy music, my master!

Translation(s): DUT DUT FRE GER ITA

List of language codes

About the headline (FAQ)

Authorship

• by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 3, first published 1912 [ author's text checked 1 time]

• a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 3 [text unavailable]
• Go to the text.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

• by Naresh Sohal (b. 1939), "I know not how thou singest", 1985 [baritone and orchestra], from From Gitanjali, no. 3. [
   text not verified 
  ]
• by Thomas Wegren , "Silent amazement", 1994 [tenor, piano, and cassette tape], from Songs of Gitanjali, no. 1. [
   text not verified 
  ]

Settings in other languages:

• Also set in Dutch (Nederlands), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , title unknown ENG FRE GER ITA by Atma Kenswil.
  • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
    
• Also set in Italian (Italiano), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , title unknown ENG FRE GER DUT by Dino Menichetti.
  • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
    
• Also set in Dutch (Nederlands), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , title unknown ENG FRE GER ITA by Jan Pouwels.
  • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
    

Other available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):

• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist) , title unknown
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , title 1: "Je ne sais pas comment tu chantes, mon maître !", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , title unknown, copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Text added to the website: 2010-11-03.
Last modified: 2014-06-16 10:04:05
Line count: 12
Word count: 91

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Ich weiß nicht, wie du singest, mein...

Ich weiß nicht, wie du singest, mein Gebieter!
Ich lausch’ dir immerfort in stummem Staunen.

Denn deiner Klänge Licht erhellt die Welt
und deiner Klänge Lebensodem flutet durch die Himmel.
Der heil’ge Strom deiner Musik durchdringt
selbst Stein, ergießt sich fort und fort.

Mein Herz will sehnend in dein Lied einstimmen,
vergebens ringt es aber um den Ton.
Gern würd' ich sprechen, doch mein Wort wird nicht zum Lied,
und ratlos heul ich auf.
Ach, du hast mein Herz gefangen, mein Gebieter,
und eingewoben in den Kosmos Deines Sangs!

IMPORTANT NOTE: The material directly above is protected by copyright and appears here by special permission. If you wish to copy it and distribute it, you must obtain permission or you will be breaking the law. Once you have permission, you must give credit to the author and display the copyright symbol ©. Copyright infringement is a criminal offense under international law.

About the headline (FAQ)

Authorship

• Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2014 by Bertram Kottmann, (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.
  
  Bertram Kottmann. Contact:
  <BKottmann (AT) t-online.de>
  
  
  If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact:
  
  (licenses at lieder dot net)
  
  
  
  

• a text in English by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 3, first published 1912 ENG FRE DUT DUT ITA
• This text was set to music by the following composer(s): Naresh Sohal, Thomas Wegren. Go to the text.

• a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 3 [text unavailable]
• Go to the text.

Text added to the website: 2014-04-03.
Last modified: 2014-06-16 10:05:31
Line count: 12
Word count: 89