Die schönste Frau vom Rheine

Sei mir gepriesen und gelobt,
Du sangesfroher Rhein, 
Wo ich gekostet und geprobt
So manchen goldnen Wein! 
An deinen Ufern rebengrün, 
Viel schöne Frau'n und Mädchen blühn,
Wo aber wandelt Eine,
Die schönste Frau vom Rheine? 

Ich weiß es wohl, doch nimmerdar
Werd' ich es euch gestehn,
Es würde sonst der Pilger Schaar 
Zu ihr auf Wallfahrt gehn.
Ich saß bei ihr am Tafelrund,
Doch mir erstarb das Wort im Mund,
Stumm fand mich selbst beim Weine 
Die schönste Frau vom Rheine.

Es schwebt gleich einer Königin
Ihr lilienstolzes Bild,
Ihr Wesen Anmuth, Huld ihr Sinn,
Ihr Lächeln wundermild.
Die Augen brunnentief und klar,
Hoch krönet dunkellockig Haar 
Die Stirn von Elfenbeine 
Der schönsten Frau vom Rheine.

Zieh hin, mein Lied, mit leisem Ton 
Und kling umher um sie,
An ihrem Sitz, an ihrem Thron, 
Zu ihren Füßen knie.
Soviel des Wassers fließt zur Au, 
Soviel des Weines wächst im Gau,
Soviel grüß mir die Eine 
Die schönste Frau vom Rheine!

Translation(s): ENG

List of language codes

Submitted by Emily Ezust [Administrator]

Authorship

• by Julius Wolff (1834 - 1910), "Die schönste Frau vom Rheine", appears in Singuf: Rattenfängerlieder, first published 1881 [ author's text checked 1 time]

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

• by Alexander Julius Paul Dorn (1833 - 1901), "Die schönste Frau vom Rheine", op. 115 [voice and piano], Magdeburg, Heinrichshofen's Verlag [
   text not verified 
  ]
• by Hans August Friedrich Zincke genannt Sommer (1837 - 1922), "Die schönste Frau vom Rheine", op. 4 no. 24 (1882/83), published 1884 [voice and piano], from Hunold Singuf. Rattenfängerlieder nach Julius Wolff's Dichtungen, no. 24, Braunschweig, H. Litolff [
   text not verified 
  ]
• by Heinrich Zöllner (1854 - 1941), "Die schönste Frau vom Rheine", op. 16 no. 8, published 1882 [baritone and piano], from Hunold Singuf. Acht neue Rattenfängerlieder von Julius Wolff, no. 8, Leipzig, Siegel [
   text not verified 
  ]

Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):

• ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , title 1: "The most beautiful woman of the Rhine", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Text added to the website: 2010-02-24 00:00:00.

Last modified: 2014-06-16 10:03:35

Line count: 32
Word count: 161

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The most beautiful woman of the Rhine

Be praised and lauded,
You Rhine, joyful in song,
Where I tasted and tried out
Many a golden wine!
Upon your green vine-clad banks
Many beautiful women and girls bloom,
Where, though, walks the One,
The most beautiful woman of the Rhine?

I know it well, but nevermore
Shall I reveal it to you,
For otherwise a throng of men
Would make a pilgrimage to her.
I sat with her at table,
But speech died upon my lips;
The most beautiful woman of the Rhine
Found me mute even while drinking wine.

Poised like that of a queen
Is her proud, lily-white image,
Her nature is sweetness, her spirit grace,
Her smiles are wondrously gentle.
Her eyes are deep as a well and clear,
Her dark, curly hair crowns
The ivory brow of
The most beautiful woman of the Rhine.

Go forth, my song, with quiet strains
And sound about her,
At her residence, at her throne,
Kneel at her feet.
As abundantly as the waters that flow to the meadow
As abundantly as the wine grows in the county,
So abundantly greet the One from me,
The most beautiful woman of the Rhine.

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Authorship

• Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 by Sharon Krebs, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
  
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• a text in German (Deutsch) by Julius Wolff (1834 - 1910), "Die schönste Frau vom Rheine", appears in Singuf: Rattenfängerlieder, first published 1881
• This text was set to music by the following composer(s): Alexander Julius Paul Dorn, Hans August Friedrich Zincke genannt Sommer, Heinrich Zöllner. Go to the text.

Text added to the website: 2014-07-09 00:00:00.

Last modified: 2014-07-09 08:57:04

Line count: 32
Word count: 194