by Eleanor Elde Darby (1809 - 1870)
Translation Singable translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Starlight
Language: English
Ah no! tho' dear the sunshine bright, the gladd'ning golden glance of Day; not half so dear to me that ray as the pale, silv'ry soft starlight, which calls up Mem'ry's starry beam to gild the past, the twilight stream! It smiles on me with magic power and checking Times' too rapid flight, brings back that well-remember'd night, that sweet, that sad, that parting hour, whose mingled joyance and regret I never, never can forget! The dash of the eternal sea, the voice of God was in our ears; o'er us the blue sky's myriad spheres, those worlds where we one day may be! Heav'n, heav'n itself hath writ above those lustrous lines of hope and love! And in our hearts was a mix'd feeling of pain and pleasure, friendship's glow, o'erbrimming e'en to overflow, too tender for the lip's revealing! Immortal as those orbs of light, an as our souls that own its might! They smile on me like angels fair! at sight of them sweet tears arise, delicious dews, and fill mine eyes. Oh! lovelier they than all noon's glare; a thousand, thousand times more dear! For when they smile, my friend is near!
Text Authorship:
- by Eleanor Elde Darby (1809 - 1870) [author's text not yet checked 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 Wilhelm Neuland (1806 - 1889), "Starlight" [ voice and piano ], also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Wilhelm Neuland.
Researcher for this page: Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2024-12-26
Line count: 30
Word count: 196
Sternenlicht
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English
Nein, nein! So teuer ist mir nicht der gold'nen Sonne klarer Schein; er leuchtet nicht so süß und rein als das bleich, silbern Sternenlicht. Es ruft zurück, trotz Zeit und Raum, vergang'ner Wonne süßen Traum. Es lächelt mir mit Zaubermacht, hält auf der Stunden schnell Flucht, bringt mir zurück, die ich gesucht, die süße bitt're Trennungsnacht, die Wonne mischte bitter'm Schmerz; nein, nie vergisst sie dieses Herz! Des ew'gen Meeres Rauschen hört! Die Stimme Gottes tönt sie euch. Hoch über uns ein blinkend Schwert, beschirmend and'rer Welten Reich. Gott, Gott, er selbst, er schrieb es hin, was Hoffnung uns und Liebe lehrt. In unser'm Herz wechseln Gefühle, bald Freud, bald Schmerz uns durchwühlt. Wohl freudig klopft die volle Brust, nicht kann das Wort die Wonne künden; dort oben überm Sternenzelt, dort werden wir uns wiederseh'n! Die Engel lächeln hold herab, die Träne rinnt vom Antlitz mild. O süßer Tau, den Gott mir gab, den Busen Hoffnung mir erfüllt. Am besser'n Jenseits zweifl' ich nicht, mir bürgt dafür das Sternenlicht.
Text Authorship:
- Singable translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Eleanor Elde Darby (1809 - 1870)
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Wilhelm Neuland (1806 - 1889), "Sternenlicht" [ voice and piano ], also set in English [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2024-12-26
Line count: 30
Word count: 169