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Da unten steht ein Ritter
Im weißen Mondenstrahl;
Es tönet seine Zitter
Von treuer Liebe Qual:
* * *
»Lüfte spannt die blauen Schwingen
Still für meine Botschaft aus,
Ruft sie mit dem leisen Klingen
An dieß Fensterchen heraus!
Sagt ihr, daß im Blätterdache
Seufze ein bekannter Laut;
Sagt ihr, daß noch Einer wache
Und die Nacht sey kühl und traut
Sagt ihr, wie der Mond so helle
Auf ihr Fenster streut sein Licht;
Sagt ihr, wie der Wald, die Quelle
Heimlich und von Liebe spricht!!
Laß ihn leuchten durch die Bäume
Deines Bildes süßen Schein;
Das sich hold in meine Träume
Und mein Wachen webet ein! -«
* * *
Doch drang die zarte Weise
Wohl nicht zu ihrem Ohr;
Der Sänger schwang sich leise
Zum Fensterlein empor.
Und oben zog der Ritter
Ein Kränzchen aus der Brust,
Das band er fest [an's]1 Gitter
Und seufzte: »[Blüh']2 in Lust -
Und fragt sie, wer euch brachte,
Dann Blumen thut ihr kund -«
Ein Stimmchen unten lachte:
»»Dein Ritter Liebemund!«« -
Confirmed with Conversationsblatt. Zeitschrift für wissenschaftliche Unterhaltung. Dritter Jahrgang. 1821. Erster Band. Wien. Im Verlage der Gerold'schen Buchhandlung. No. 1. Wien, Mittwoch den 3. Jänner, pages 7-8.
Note: This poem inspired a lithographic print by Ludwig Ferdinand Schnorr von Carolsfeld (reproduced in the source quoted above), which is a companion piece to his painting Des ritterlichen Jägers Liebeslauschen of 1818, which was also versified by Schlechta.
Note: Schlechta published this poem in a revised version with the title Das Fräulein as the second romance of Liebeslauschen. Zwey Romanzen in 1824. Later he created a further, substantially changed version, which was published posthumously in his Ephemeren.
1 Schubert: "am"2 Schubert: "Blüht"
Text Authorship:
- by Franz Xaver Freiherr von Schlechta (1796 - 1875), "Des Fräuleins Liebeslauschen", subtitle: "Romanze", written 1820, first published 1821 [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 Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Des Fräuleins Liebeslauschen", D 698 (1820), published 1832 [ voice, piano ], A. Diabelli & Co., VN 4015 Wien (Nachlaß-Lieferung 15) [sung text checked 1 time]
Another version of this text exists in the database.
Another version of this text exists in the database.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "L’aguait amorós de la donzella", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The maiden’s eavesdropping love", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "À l'écoute de l'amour de la jeune fille", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2017-12-10
Line count: 34
Word count: 171
Down below there stands a knight
In the white moonbeam;
His zither is sounding
The agony of faithful love:
* * *
"Breezes, spread your blue wings
Quietly to receive my message,
With soft ringing entice her
To [open] this window [and look] out!
Tell her that in the leafy canopy
There sighs a well-known sound,
Tell her that one person is still awake
And that the night is cool and cozy[.]
Tell her how the moon so brightly
Scatters its light upon her window;
Tell her how the forest, the water-spring
Speaks secretly and [speaks] of love!!
Let shine through the trees
The sweet gleam of your image,
Which beautifully weaves itself
Into my dreams and my waking! -"
* * *
But the gentle air must not
Have penetrated to her ear;
The singer swung himself quietly
Up to the little window.
And up there the knight pulled
A little wreath from his breast;
This he bound firmly to the screen
And sighed: "Bloom in joy!"
And should she ask who brought you,
Then, flowers, tell her –"
A little voice below laughed:
"[It was] your knight, Liebemund [literally, lips of love]!"-
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2018 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Franz Xaver Freiherr von Schlechta (1796 - 1875), "Des Fräuleins Liebeslauschen", subtitle: "Romanze", written 1820, first published 1821
This text was added to the website: 2018-01-03
Line count: 34
Word count: 194