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O, Kinderzeit! Was liegt in diesen Klängen, Für eine wunderbare Melodie! [Was für]1 Gestalten sich dazwischen drängen, Sie spricht zum Herzen und veraltet nie. Mit Schmerzenssehnsucht wird sie uns durchbeben, Treibt uns das Schicksal in die Welt hinaus, Denn was sich niemals wiederholt im Leben, Das ist die Heimath und das Vaterhaus! Der Mond blickt silbern durch der Zweige Düster, Die Wolken jagen schnell an Himmelshöh'n; Mir ist's, als hörte ich im Blattgeflüster, Vergang'ner Zeiten Geisterstimmen weh'n. Was rauscht dort zwischen Schilf und Pappelweiden, Und drüber schwankt der Erle dunkles Grün? Es ist das Bächlein, das in frühern Zeiten Mir als der Erde größter Strom erschien. Ich sah sich tief die gold'nen Sterne spiegeln, Und dachte: Dort muß auch ein Himmel sein! Und Engel sah ich -- ach, mit goldnen Flügeln! Und wünschte oft mich in die Fluth hinein. Die Wolken zogen fort mit Windesschnelle, Das Schilfrohr rauschte schauerlichen Klang, Und ich vernahm im Rauschen jeder Welle Der holden Wasserelfe Nachtgesang! Weit hinter mir, vom Zeitenflug getragen, Liegt meiner Kindheit gold'nes Zauberland, Und anders, wie in jenen schönen Tagen, Geh' ich jetzt auf und ab am Erlenstrand. Noch immer leuchtet aus den klaren Wogen Mir sternbesä't des Himmels blauer Dom; Doch längst schon sind die Engel fortgeflogen Und ach! -- zum kleinen Bache ward mein Strom!
A. van de Weg sets stanza 1
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Vier Lebenswege. Bilder aus dem Skizzenbuche eines Dilettanten, Zweiter Band, Leipzig: Verlag von Chr. E. Kollmann, 1855, pages 94-95.
1 van der Weg: "Wie viel"Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, no title, written 1846 [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 Arie D. van de Weg , "O, Kinderzeit", published 18--?, stanza 1 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder, no. 3, Dordrecht: Gilgay [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Oh, childhood", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2023-12-22
Line count: 32
Word count: 214
Oh, childhood! What a wondrous melody Lies in this word! [Whatever]1 figures push themselves in, It speaks to the heart and never grows old. With painful yearning it shall tremble through us When fate drives us out into the world, For that which never repeats itself in life, That is our home and our father's house! The moon gazes silverly through the darkness of the branches, The clouds scud quickly along the heights of heaven; It seems to me that in the whispering of the leaves I hear The wafting of ghostly voices of times past. What is soughing there between the reeds and willows, And above sways the dark green of the alder? It is the brooklet that in former times Seemed to me to be the greatest river! I saw the golden stars reflected deeply, And thought: that must be where heaven is too! And I saw angels -- ah, with golden wings! And I often wished to be in the surging water. The clouds scudded away with the speed of the wind, The reeds soughed with a spooky sound, And in the surging of yonder wave I discerned The night song of the lovely water sprite! Far behind me, carried by the flight of time, Lies the golden, enchanted land of my childhood, And differently than I did in those beautiful past days, I now walk up and down along the alder-shore. From the clear waves there still shines The blue vault of heaven bestrewn with stars; But the angels have long since flown away And alas! -- my great river has become a little brook.
1 van der Weg: "However many"
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2023 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 Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , no title, written 1846
This text was added to the website: 2023-12-22
Line count: 32
Word count: 267