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Ist das Herz dir krank, Voller Gram und Pein, All dein Muth dahin, Weißt nicht aus noch ein: Weiß ein Mittel dir, Armer, glaube mir, Bald wird's besser, besser sein: In die Augen tief Deinem Kinde schau, Drin der Himmel strahlt, O wie klar und blau! Ob dein Grämen nicht Wie das Eis zerbricht, Wenn die Lüfte wehen lau! Wenn's im Lächeln zeigt Seine Zähnlein blank, Wenn's dich fest umschlingt Mit den Ärmlein schlank, O versuch' es doch, Glaub's, das hilft dir noch, Wenn die letzte Hoffnung sank. Hilft auch das nicht mehr, Freilich, freilich dann, Hilft kein Mensch dir sonst, O du armer Mann! Gott, der Herr, behüt Solch ein arm Gemüth, Das ein Kind nicht heilen kann!
Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, pages 251-252.
Text Authorship:
- by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Ist das Herz dir krank", appears in Liederbuch, in 3. Hauslieder, no. 280 [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 Eduard Tauwitz (1812 - 1894) [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "When your heart is sick", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2026-02-07
Line count: 28
Word count: 119
When your heart is sick, Full of misery and pain, All your courage spent, When you do not know what to do: I know a solution for you, Poor one, believe me, Soon it shall get better, get better: Look deeply into The eyes of your child, Within them Heaven stands radiant, Oh, how clear and blue! See if your grieving does not Break up like ice When the balmy breezes blow! When in smiling your child Shows its shining little teeth, When it embraces you tightly With its slender little arms, Oh, do try it, Believe me, that can help you Even when your last hope has gone. If even that no longer helps, Truly, truly then No other human can help you, Oh, you poor man! May the Lord God protect A spirit so poor That a child cannot heal it!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2026 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 Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Ist das Herz dir krank", appears in Liederbuch, in 3. Hauslieder, no. 280
This text was added to the website: 2026-06-09
Line count: 28
Word count: 143