The summer dream was lovely! | The summer dream was lovely!

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by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Hold war der Sommertraum

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

  Hold war der Sommertraum! --
Kein Blatt mehr in dem Wipfel; 
Kahl bis zum höchsten Gipfel, 
Du armer Baum!
  Aber brauset der Sturm durch's Gefild, 
Niederschmetternd die Tannen wild, 
Die noch prangen im grünen Kleid, 
Unbekannt mit des Herbstes Leid: 
  Stehest du fest in sicherer Ruh, 
    Lachest dazu! --

  Treu meint's dein Gott mit dir! --
Ließ manchen Stern erblassen, 
Daß du dich hieltst verlassen, 
O Seele schier!
  Ahnest du nicht, warum er es that? 
Merkest du nicht, wie gütig sein Rath? 
Daß du nicht zagest in größerm Weh, 
Stark und freudig dein Glaube besteh! 
  Daß du, wenn Alles sinket dahin,
    Habest noch Ihn!

Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, page 139.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Hold war der Sommertraum!", appears in Liederbuch, in 1. Naturlieder, no. 159 [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 Philipp Tietz (1816 - 1878), "Hold war der Sommertraum", published 1870 [ satb chorus ], in: Musikalische Ährenlese. Neue Lieder und Gesänge für gemischten Chor, 2. Lieferung, Berlin: Stubenrauch [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The summer dream was lovely!", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-10-11
Line count: 20
Word count: 102

The summer dream was lovely!

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

  The summer dream was lovely! --
No leaf remaining in the treetop;
Bare to the highest tip,
You poor tree!
  But when the storm roars through the pastures,
Wildly knocking down the firs
That still stand resplendent in their green garb,
Unfamiliar with the woe of autumn:
  You stand firm in secure rest,
    And laugh the while! --

  Your God deals faithfully with you! --
He let many a star go out,
So that you almost felt yourself forsaken,
Oh soul!
  Do you not perceive why He did so?
Do you not realize how beneficent is His counsel?
So that you do not despair in greater pain,
That your faith remain strong and glad!
  That you, when everything [else] sinks away,
    Still have Him!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2025 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 Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Hold war der Sommertraum!", appears in Liederbuch, in 1. Naturlieder, no. 159
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2025-11-03
Line count: 20
Word count: 122