Ask not why | Clouded," you say, "is my spirit

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Eligius Franz Joseph, Freiherr von Münch-Bellinghausen (1806 - 1871), as Friedrich Halm

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Verdüstert", sagst Du, "ist mein Sinn

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

"Verdüstert", sagst Du, "ist mein Sinn,
"Verblüht und welk sind meine Wangen;
"Verwandelt traurig; wie ich bin,
"Wie kann Dein Herz an mir noch hangen?"

Ich liebe Dich! Frag' nicht: Warum?
Kein Weiser wird es je Dir sagen!
Ich liebe Dich, und Du mußt stumm
Als Dein Geschick es eben tragen!

Ich lieb' Dich nicht, weil mir's gefällt,
Ich fühl' mein Herz zu Dir getrieben;
Und wär' die Wahl mir frei gestellt
Und wollt' ich nicht, ich muß Dich lieben!

Ob Deine Wange blaß; ob roth;
Ob Dein Gemüth trüb oder heiter,
Ich lieb Dich hier bis in den Tod;
Und nach dem Tod; im Himmel weiter!

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Friedrich Halm's (Eligius Freiherrn von Münch-Bellinghausen) Werke, Siebenter Band, Neue Gedichte, Wien: Druck und Verlag von Carl Gerold's Sohn, 1864, page 53.

Text Authorship:

by Eligius Franz Joseph, Freiherr von Münch-Bellinghausen (1806 - 1871), as Friedrich Halm, "Frag' nicht: Warum?", appears in Neue Gedichte, in Lieder der Liebe, no. 9, first published 1864 [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 Theodor Leschetizky (1830 - 1915), "Frage nicht, warum?", op. 32 (Sechs Lieder für tiefe Stimme mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1866 [ low voice and piano ], Wien, Spina [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Ask not why", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2014-04-15
Line count: 16
Word count: 107

Ask not why

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

"Clouded," you say, "is my spirit,
Faded and withered are my cheeks;
So sadly transformed as I am,
How can your heart still be inclined towards me?"

I love you! Do not ask why?
No sage shall ever be able to tell you!
I love you, and you must mutely
Accept and bear it as your fate!

I do not love you because it pleases me,
I feel my heart driven towards you;
And if I were given a free choice,
And did not wish to do so, I must love you!

If your cheek be pale, be rosy;
If your spirit be sombre or merry,
I love you here [on earth] unto death;
And after death, I shall continue to love you in heaven!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 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 Eligius Franz Joseph, Freiherr von Münch-Bellinghausen (1806 - 1871), as Friedrich Halm, "Frag' nicht: Warum?", appears in Neue Gedichte, in Lieder der Liebe, no. 9, first published 1864
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2014-04-15
Line count: 16
Word count: 125