by
Ernst Ortlepp (1800 - 1864)
Ein süß Geheimniß wohnt in meiner Brust
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
"Ein süß Geheimniß wohnt in meiner Brust,
Das nimmer kommt an's Licht in Ewigkeit,
Und wenn du mich umfängst in sel'ger Lust,
Dann naht's -- doch rasch entflieht es wieder weit.
Es brennt tief -- tief in mir; wie Grabeslicht,
So glimmt das Flämmchen still und unbekannt;
[Doch der Verzweiflung Nacht erstickt es nicht,
Brennt's matt auch jetzt, wie es noch nie gebrannt.]1
Vergiß mein nicht! Und kommst du an mein Grab,
Dann denke, daß dein Mädchen drinnen ruht;
Die einz'ge Sorge folgt ihr nur hinab,
Daß du vielleicht vergaßest ihre Gluth.
Vernimm mein zärtlichstes, mein letztes Fleh'n;
Die Tugend selbst verzeiht den heil'gen Schmerz;
Nur eine Thräne laß im Auge sehn,
Und wär's die letzte, sie entzückt mein Herz!"
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
• J. Lang J. Lang sets stanzas 1-2
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View original text (without footnotes)
German text confirmed with Lord Byron’s sämmtliche Werke . Nach den Anforderungen unserer Zeit neu übersetzt von Mehreren, Dritter Band, Stuttgart: Hoffmann’sche Verlags-Buchhandlung, 1839, page 119.
1 omitted by Lang.
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Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2016-11-30
Line count: 16
Word count: 119
A sweet secret dwells within my breast
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
"A sweet secret dwells within my breast,
[A secret] which shall never see the light of eternity,
And when you embrace me in blissful rapture,
Then it nears -- but rapidly it again flees into the distance.
It burns deeply -- deeply within me; like a death candle
Glimmers the little flame, silent and unknown;
But the night of despair does not snuff it out,
Even if now it burns more feebly than it ever has.
Do not forget me! And when you come to my grave,
Then think, that your maiden rests within it;
The only anxiety that follows her down [into the grave]
Is that you might have forgotten her burning passion.
Hear my most tender, my last pleading;
Virtue itself forgives the holy pain;
Let only a single tear be seen in your eye,
And if it were the last, it would enrapture my heart!"
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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 Ernst Ortlepp (1800 - 1864), no title
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2016-11-30
Line count: 16
Word count: 146
