Wer ist vor meiner Kammerthür?

Wer ist vor meiner Kammerthür? --
    "Ich bin es," -- [sagte Finlay. --]1
Geh, [pack']2 dich fort! was suchst du hier? --
    "Gar Süßes!" -- [sagte Finlay --]1
Du kommst im Dunkeln, wie ein Dieb. --
    "So fang mich!" -- [sagte Finlay. --]1
Du hast mich wohl ein wenig lieb? --
     "Von Herzen!" -- [sagte Finlay. --]1

Und öffnet' ich nach deinem [Sinn]3 --
    "O öffne!" -- [flehte Finlay --]1
Da wär ja Schlaf und Ruhe hin; --
    "Laß hin sein!" -- [sagte Finlay. --]1
Ein Tauber du im Taubenschlag! --
    "Beim Täubchen!" -- [sagte Finlay. --]1
Du girrtest bis zum hellen Tag. --
    "Wohl möglich!" -- [sagte Finlay. --]1

Nein! nimmer lass' ich dich herein! --
    "Thu's dennoch!" -- [flehte Finlay --]1
Du stelltest wohl dich täglich ein? --
    "Mit Freuden!" -- [sagte Finlay --]1
Wie keck du bist und was du wagst! --
    "So darf ich?" -- [fragte Finlay --]1
Daß du's nur keiner Seele sagst! --
    "Gewiß nicht!" -- [sagte Finlay. --]1

Translation(s): DUT ENG ENG FRE

List of language codes

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Robert Burns’ Gedichte, deutsch von W. Gerhard, Leipzig: Verlag von Joh. Ambr. Barth., 1840, page2 161-162

Authorship

• by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Der kecke Finlay" [ author's text verified 1 time]

• a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Indeed will I, quo' Findlay", first published 1783 HUN SWG
• 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 Robert Alexander Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Unterm Fenster", op. 34 (Vier Duette) no. 3 (1840), published 1841 [duet for soprano and tenor with piano], Leipzig, Klemm [ sung text verified 1 time]

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

• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Onder het venster", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (David K. Smythe) , "At my door", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Sous la fenêtre", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Text added to the website: 2003-11-20.
Last modified: 2017-07-22 12:59:09
Line count: 24
Word count: 141

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project, and I have been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your gift is greatly appreciated.      - Emily Ezust

At my door

Who is at my bedroom door?
It's me!
Go, be off with you, what do you want here?
Really sweet!
You come in the dark like a thief.
So catch me!
Do you have a little love for me?
With all my heart!

And if I opened the door as you wish?
O open it!
That would be the end of sleep and peace!
Let them be!
Are you a dove in a dovecot?
With my little dove!
Will you coo until dawn?
Very possibly!

No, I will never let you in!
You must nonetheless!
Would you likely appear every day?
With pleasure!
How cheeky you are and how dare you!
So may I?
As long as you tell not a soul!
Of course not!

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.

Authorship

• Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by David K. Smythe, (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 Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard (1780 - 1858), "Der kecke Finlay" DUT FRE GER GER HUN SWG
• This text was set to music by the following composer(s): Robert Alexander Schumann. Go to the text.

• a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Indeed will I, quo' Findlay", first published 1783 HUN SWG
• Go to the text.

Text added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.