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Agnete var elsket, uskyldig og god, Sligt Hjerte har aldrig en ond Draabe Blod; Hun var som Guds Engle og mild som Guds Sol. Og dog saa beskeden, som Markens Viol. O Gud, hvor mit Hjerte maa lide! Den fattige Fugl sad paa Grenen og sang, Men hun saae alene paa Bølgernes Gang. Der klang det saa [listigt]1, ei vidste hun hvad; Hun hørte paa Havmandens lokkende Kvad. O Gud! hvor mit Hjerte maa lide! Den Havmand, han nævned' saa sødt hendes Navn, Hun glemte sin [Jesum]2 og sprang i hans Favn; -- Ak, sand er min Vise, men det er ei stort! Den fattige Fugl har selv Visen gjort. O Gud! hvor mit Hjerte maa lide! --
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotes1 Gade: "lifligt"
2 Gade: "Frelser"
Text Authorship:
- by Hans Christian Andersen (1805 - 1875), appears in Agnete og Havmanden [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 Niels Wilhelm Gade (1817 - 1890), "Vise", 1843 [ voice and piano ], from Agnete og Havmanden, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Halfdan Kjerulf (1815 - 1868), "Romance af Agnete og Havmanden", op. 1 (Seks sange) no. 2, HK. 15 (1840?) [ voice and piano ]
Score: IMSLP [external link] [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Julius Thomsen, Dr. (flourished c1849) , "Am Ufer", subtitle: "(Der Mond scheint auf's Wasser)", appears in Andersens Dichtungen. Auswahl in deutscher Übertragung, first published 1849 ; composed by Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-07-09
Line count: 15
Word count: 119
Agnète était aimée, innocente et bonne, Un tel cœur ne recèle jamais une goutte de sang malveillant Elle était comme les anges de Dieu et douce comme le soleil de Dieu. Et pourtant si modeste, comme la violette des champs. Ô Dieu, combien mon cœur doit souffrir ! Un pauvre oiseau était perché sur la branche et chantait, Mais elle ne voyait que le mouvement des vagues. Cela résonnait si mystérieusement, elle comprenait pas ; Elle entendait le chant séduisant d’un triton. Ô Dieu ! Comme mon cœur doit souffrir ! Ce triton prononçait tout doucement son nom, Elle oublia Jésus et se jeta dans ses bras ; Hélas, ma chanson est vraie, mais ce n’est pas grand-chose ! C’est le pauvre oiseau lui-même qui a composé cette chanson. Ô Dieu ! comme mon cœur doit souffrir !
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of titles:
"Romance af Agnete og Havmanden" = "Romance de Agnete et le triton"
"Vise" = "Chanson"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Danish (Dansk) to French (Français) copyright © 2026 by Pierre Mathé, (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 Danish (Dansk) by Hans Christian Andersen (1805 - 1875), appears in Agnete og Havmanden
This text was added to the website: 2026-05-25
Line count: 15
Word count: 130