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by Franz (Seraphicus) Grillparzer (1791 - 1872)
Translation Singable translation by William Wallace (1860 - 1940)

Des Kindes Scheiden
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Über des Bettes Haupt flog säuselnden Fluges ein Engel,
Und des Unsterblichen Blick fiel auf das schlafende Kind.
Wie sein eigenes Bild im Spiegel silberner Wellen
Lächelt freundlich und hold [an ihn]1 die süße Gestalt.
Leise sinkt er herab, sich freuend der lieblichen Täuschung,
Und tritt luftigen Schritts neben das Schlafende hin.
Ach! es schlummert so süß, und Unschuld und himmlischer Friede
Säuseln im Athem des Munds, ruh’n auf der silbernen Stirn, 
Kräuseln zum Heiligenschein des Hauptes goldene Locken,
Ruh’n, wie ein Lilienzweig, in der gefalteten Hand.
Freundlich lächelt der Engel; doch bald umwölkt sich sein Antlitz,
Trüb, mit brütendem Ernst, wendet er seufzend sich ab.
Er überschaut im Geist den Sturm der kommenden Tage,
[Dem nur die]2 Eiche nur steht, welcher die Blume zerknickt;
Rauschen hört er des Unglücks seelenmordende Pfeile,
Wider die Unschuld und Recht nur ein [zerbrechlicher]3 Schild;
Thränend sieht er das Aug’, das weich die Wimper bedeckt,
Und zerschlagen die Brust, die jetzt atmend sich hebt.
Banges Mitleid erfaßt die Seele des himmlischen Boten,
Fragend [steht]4 er empor, und – der Allmächtige nickt.
Da umfängt er den Nacken, und küßt die zuckender Lippen;
Spricht: „Sei Glucklich, o Kind!” – und – die Kleine war todt.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   F. Weingartner 

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Deutsche Lyrik seit Goethe's Tode. Ausgewählt von Maximilian Bern, Neue Ausgabe, Zwölfte, verbesserte Auflage, Leipzig, Druck und Verlag von Philipp Reclam, 1893, pages 180-181. Note: in many older editions, the spelling of the capitalized word "über" becomes "Ueber", but this is often due to the printing process and not to rules of orthography, since the lower-case version is not "ueber", so we use "Über". Note: Weingartner uses contemporary orthography, so "Athem" is "Atem", "Thränend" is "Tränend", and "todt" is "tot".

See also Jean Reboul's very similar poem "L'Ange et l'enfant"

1 Weingartner: "ihn an"
2 Weingartner: "Dem die"
3 Weingartner: "gebrechlicher"
4 Weingartner: "blickt"

Text Authorship:

  • by Franz (Seraphicus) Grillparzer (1791 - 1872), "Des Kindes Scheiden" [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 Felix Paul Weingartner (1863 - 1942), "Des Kindes Scheiden", op. 36 (4 Gesänge) no. 3 (1901-1903), published 1904 [ soprano and orchestra ], Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • ENG English [singable] (William Wallace) , "The Angel and the Child"


Research team for this page: Laura Prichard [Guest Editor] , David A. Poirier

This text was added to the website: 2023-02-21
Line count: 22
Word count: 203

The Angel and the Child
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Close to a cradle hung an angel with fluttering pinions,
With eyes immortal he watched over a slumbering child.
In its innocent face, as in a mirror of silver,
Gleamed the smile of his own, enwreathed with glory divine.
Softly folding his wings, spellbound by the beautiful vision,
Like some sighing of air, nearer he came to the child.
Ah, how gently it slept! Unsullied and sinless as Heaven,
Murmured the breath of its lips: calm was its silvery brow,
Crowned with its circlet of golden curls that shone as a halo.
Peace, lie a lily branch, lay in its soft, folded hands.
Kindly pondered the angel: but soon a shadow came o’er him,
Trouble compasses his heart, musing, he uttered a sigh.
His eyes foresaw the angry storm of days that were coming,
Which the oak scarce withstands, crushing the blossoms to earth.
Deathful arrows he heard, that smote the soul to destruction;
E’en the most blameless of heart were but a buckler of straw.
Were those innocent days to grieve with piteous tears!
Were that breast to be rent by implacable blows!
Deep compassion posesst the soul of the heavenly envoy,
Up he looked for a sign; And then the Almighty smiled.
O’er the child bent the angel, and kissed its lips as they quivered,
Spake, “Thrice blessed thou art!” And the dear one was dead.

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation by William Wallace (1860 - 1940), "The Angel and the Child" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Franz (Seraphicus) Grillparzer (1791 - 1872), "Des Kindes Scheiden"
    • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

    [ None yet in the database ]


Researcher for this page: Laura Prichard [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2023-10-08
Line count: 22
Word count: 228

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