Abschied

Zu lieblich ist's, ein Wort zu brechen,
Zu schwer die wohlerkannte Pflicht,
Und leider kann man nichts versprechen,
Was unserm Herzen wiederspricht.
Du übst die alten Zauberlieder,
Du lockst ihn, der kaum ruhig war,
Zum Schaukelkahn der süßen Torheit wieder,
Erneust, verdoppelt die Gefahr.

Was suchst du mir dich zu verstecken!
Sey offen, flieh nicht meinen Blick!
Früh oder spät müßt' ich's entdecken,
Und hier hast du dein Wort zurück.
Was ich gesollt, hab' ich vollendet;
Durch mich sey dir von nun an nichts verwehrt;
Verzeih dem Freund, der sich nun von dir wendet,
Und still in sich zurücke kehrt.

Translation(s): FRE

List of language codes

Submitted by Emily Ezust [Administrator]

Authorship

• by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Abschied", first published 1797 [ 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 Mauro Giuseppe Sergio Pantaleo Giuliani (1781 - 1829), "Abschied", op. 89 no. 1, published 1817 [voice and guitar or piano], from Sechs Lieder, no. 1. [
   text not verified 
  ]
• by Johann Friedrich Reichardt (1752 - 1814), "Abschied", published 1805-6. [
   text verified 1 time
  ]

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

• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , title 1: "Adieux", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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

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Adieux

Il est trop charmant de trahir sa parole,
Trop dur de bien discerner son devoir,
Hélas ! et on ne peut pas promettre
Ce à quoi notre cœur s'oppose.
Tu pratiques les anciens chants magiques,
Tu l'attires, à peine était-il tranquille,
Sur la barque branlante d'une douce folie,
Tu renouvelles, redoubles le danger.

Qu'est-ce que tu cherches à me dissimuler !
Sois franche, ne fuis pas mon regard !
Tôt ou tard, je devais le découvrir,
Et maintenant je te rends ta parole.
Ce que je devais faire, je l'ai accompli ;
Ce n'est pas moi qui t'interdirai quoi que ce soit ;
Pardonne à l'ami qui aujourd'hui se détourne de toi,
Et en silence se replie sur lui-même.

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Authorship

• Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2012 by Pierre Mathé, (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 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Abschied", first published 1797
• This text was set to music by the following composer(s): Mauro Giuseppe Sergio Pantaleo Giuliani, Johann Friedrich Reichardt. Go to the text.

Text added to the website: 2012-09-22.
Last modified: 2014-06-16 10:05:03
Line count: 16
Word count: 119