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In der Hand die Himmelsgabe schwebt die Liebe sanft hernieder, und ihr rosiges Gefieder deckt das wunde Herz; aber aus dem [stillen]1 Grabe steigt sie himmelwärts. Wonne, Sehnsucht und Entzücken reichet sie mit sanften Händen, auch den Kummer muß sie spenden, Trennung, Qual und Schmerz; ach! die Rose, die wir pflücken, drückt den Dorn ins Herz. Fühllos auf dem Göttersitze knickt die Zeit die holde Rose, und sie sinkt, die Blüthenlose, welk und hingestreut -- doch des Dornes scharfe Spitze schmerzt für Ewigkeit. Schwebe hin, du Himmelsgabe, nur für meine süßen Lieder samml' ich deine Blüthen wieder, nicht für dieses Herz; nur im finstern öden Grabe heilet Liebesschmerz.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotesConfirmed with Sämtliche Schriften von A. von Tromlitz, Zweite Sammlung, Siebenundzwanzigstes Bändchen, Das Carnaval. Ritter Franz, Dresden und Leipzig: in der Arnoldischen Buchhandlung, 1836, pages 169-170.
1 Lang: "finstern"Text Authorship:
- by Karl August Friedrich von Witzleben (1773 - 1839), as A. v. Tromlitz, no title, appears in Ritter Franz, first published 1822 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Lied", op. 2 (Sechs teutsche [sic] Lieder) no. 3, published 1834 [ voice and piano ], München, Falter und Sohn, note: first published without an opus number; designated by Lang in 1867 as op. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Song", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2006-06-25
Line count: 24
Word count: 108
With the heavenly gift in its hand, Love softly wafts down, and its rosy plumage covers the wounded heart; but from the [quiet]1 grave [Love] rises towards heaven. Joy, longing, and rapture it presents with gentle hands, it must also mete out suffering, separation, agony, and pain; ah! the rose that we pick presses a thorn into [our] heart. On the throne of the gods Time unfeelingly breaks the lovely rose, and it sinks, the bloomless one, wilted and scattered -- but the sharp point of the thorn pains [us] for all eternity. Float away, you heavenly gift, only for my sweet songs do I again collect your blossoms, not for this heart [of mine]; only in the dark, desolate grave shall love's pain heal.
Revised July 25, 2021
1 Lang: "dark"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2006 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 Karl August Friedrich von Witzleben (1773 - 1839), as A. v. Tromlitz, no title, appears in Ritter Franz, first published 1822
This text was added to the website: 2006-06-25
Line count: 24
Word count: 125