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Du wunderbares Räthsel, Sprich, was bedeutest Du? Du deckest selbst geöffnet Ein süß Geheimniß zu. Du kühle Meerestiefe, O sprich, was in Dir ruht? Du goldne Flammenquelle, Woher die ew'ge Gluth? In Dir erglänzt die Sonne, Und doch ist's in Dir Nacht! Die Sterne [glänzen]1 helle Zugleich mit Mondespracht! Von Liebe und von Sehnsucht Sprichst Du wohl allzumal; Das Licht ist Deine Rede, Und jedes Wort ein Strahl! [In diesen]2 süßen Worten Lies't wohl kein Mensch sich satt, [Wenn]3 auch von Allen Keiner Dich ganz verstanden hat.
Confirmed with: Gedichte von Heinrich Wenzel, Glogau: Druck und Verlag von C. Flemming, 1836, pages 25-26
Note for stanza 2, line 4, word 2: in Kessler's score, the word "du" appears instead of "die", but this is probably a misprint.
1 Kessler: "leuchten"2 Kessler: "An solchen"
3 Kessler: "Ob"
Text Authorship:
- by Heinrich Wenzel , "An ihr Auge", appears in Gedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch. Liebesgedichte, in 1. Lieder und Epigramme, no. 50 [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 Joseph Christoph Kessler (1800 - 1872), "An ihr Auge", op. 53 (Zwei Lieder) no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by W. E. Scholtz , "An ihr Auge", op. 19a (Sechs Lieder für Sopran oder Tenor mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published <<1895 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], Leipzig, Leuckart [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "To her eyes", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2016-07-27
Line count: 20
Word count: 91
You wondrous enigma, Speak, what do you mean? Even when open you conceal A sweet secret. You cool depth of the ocean, Oh tell me, what rests within you? You golden well-spring of flames, Whence comes your eternal glow? Within you the sun rises in radiance, And yet it is night within you! The stars shine brightly Together with the splendour of moonlight! Of love and of longing You speak indeed at the same time; Light is your speech, And every word is a beam! In these sweet words, Likely no one can read his fill, Even though no one among all people Has completely understood you.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2016 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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Heinrich Wenzel , "An ihr Auge", appears in Gedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch. Liebesgedichte, in 1. Lieder und Epigramme, no. 50
This text was added to the website: 2016-07-27
Line count: 20
Word count: 108