Was macht dir, Herzliebster!
Die [Wange]1 so blaß?
Was macht dir das Auge
Von [Thränen]2 so naß?

O Liebchen! Herzliebchen!
Wohl ist es mir weh;
Weit muß ich von hinnen
Weit über die See!

[Und mußt du von hinnen]3 --
Dort über [der]4 See 
Giebt's wohl noch ein Liebchen. 
Herzliebster! ade!

Es scheinen viel Sterne
Am Himmelsgezelt;
Doch keiner von allen
Wie Luna gefällt.

So nimm nur dies Ringlein
Von Golde so schwer,
Und wird es zu eng dir,
[So wirf's in das Meer!]5

So steck' nur dies Blümlein
An's klopfende Herz;
Und duftet's dir nimmer,
Verging auch dein Schmerz.

About the headline (FAQ)

View text without footnotes

Confirmed with Die Dichtungen von Justinus Kerner, Neue vollständige Sammlung in Einem Bande, Stuttgart und Tübingen: Verlag der J.G. Cotta'schen Buchhandlung, 1834, pages 81-82.

¹ Kamm (op. 45): "Wangen"
² Kamm (op. 45): "Kummer"
³ Feyhl: "Was musst du von hinnen?"
⁴ Baldamus, Grimm, Kamm (both settings): "die"
⁵ Feyhl, Kamm (op. 45): "So wirf es in's Meer."

Text Authorship:

• by Justinus (Andreas Christian) Kerner (1786 - 1862), "Ade", appears in Gedichte, in Die lyrischen Gedichte [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 Gustav Baldamus (1862 - 1933), "Ade", op. 92 (Drei Lieder von Justinus Kerner) no. 2, published 1909 [ TTBB chorus a cappella ] [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Johannes Feyhl (1833 - 1905), "Ade", op. 4 (Die sieben Schwaben) no. 4, note: the score gives the composer's name only as "Joh. Feyhl" [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Julius Otto Grimm (1827 - 1903), "Volkslied", op. 8 (Sechs Lieder für gemischten Chor) no. 1, published 1858 [ mixed chorus ] [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Ferdinand Kamm (1845 - 1897), "Scheiden" [ alto and SATB chorus ], from 22 Neue Gesänge für gemischten Chor, no. 13 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Ferdinand Kamm (1845 - 1897), "Abschied", op. 45 (Liedersaal für Frauenchor. 90 drei- und vierstimmige Lieder für Schule, Haus und Verein) no. 79, published 1896 [ alto solo and ssa chorus ], Zürich & Leipzig: Hug [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Arnold Krug (1849 - 1904), "Ade", op. 28 (Vier Duette für Sopran und Bariton mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1884 [ vocal duet for soprano and baritone with piano ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]

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

• ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2008-07-21
Line count: 24
Word count: 104

What is it, darling,
That makes your [cheek]1 so pale?
What makes your eyes
So wet with [tears]2?

"Oh sweetheart! Darling!
I am certainly sorrowing;
I must go far from here,
Far across the sea!"

[And if you must go away from here,]3
There across the sea
There could be another sweetheart.
Darling! adieu!

Many stars shine
On the canopy of heaven,
But none is so loved
As the moon is loved.

Only take then this little ring
So heavy with gold,
And if it becomes too tight for you,
Then throw it into the sea.

Therefore only pin this little flower
Over your beating heart;
And when it no longer exudes fragrance,
Then your pain will have ceased as well.