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Eilende Wellen [Spielen]1 im Licht, Wenn sie zerschellen, Achten sie's nicht! Sterne da schweifen Viel tausend im Fluß; Gleich wieder greifen Sie einen zum Kuß! In [Scherzen und Schmerzen]2, Spielen mir so Die Lieder im Herzen Unwandelbar froh. Ist eines verklungen, Ich denk' ihm nicht nach, Kommt wieder gesprungen Ein anderes [jach]3. Und fängt einen Funken Vom Lichte geschwind, Worin mir so trunken Das Leben [entrinnt]4. [Vom]5 Lichte der Liebe Voll himmlischer Ruh', O selig Getriebe, So treibe nur zu!
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotesConfirmed with Christian Reinhold Köstlin’s poetry manuscripts, Z 4131, poem 96, Deutsches Literaturarchiv, Marbach, Germany. Dated August 11 [1841].
Note: in Lang's song, stanza 2 has two different variants in the repetitions: “viel tausend zum Kuss" and "gleich wieder greifen sie wieder zum Kuss".
1 Lang: "Spielend"2 Lang: "Schmerzen und Scherzen"
3 Lang: "nach"
4 Lang: "verrinnt"
5 Lang: "Im"
Text Authorship:
- by Christian Reinhold (1813 - 1856), no title, written 1841 [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 Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Am Fluße", op. 14 (Sechs deutsche Lieder) no. 2 (1841), published 1848 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 88
Hurrying waves [Frolic]1 in the light, When they break, They do not heed it! Stars rove in the river By the thousands; The waves immediately Catch and kiss one of them again. Thus, in [jesting and in pain]2 Songs play, Within my heart In unchangeable joy. If one [of the songs] fades away, I do not hanker after it, For another song Immediately leaps into its place, And quickly catches A spark from the light Wherein, intoxicated, My life [flees]3. [From]4 the light of love, Full of heavenly peace, Oh blessed commotion, Bustle onward thus!
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotesTranslations of titles:
"Am Fluße" = "At the river"
Note: in Lang's song, stanza 2 has two different variants in the repetitions that can be translated: “many thousands and kiss them (“viel tausend zum Kuss") and "immediately again the waves catch them once more and kiss them ("gleich wieder greifen sie wieder zum Kuss").
1 Lang: "Frolicking"2 Lang: "pain and in jesting"
3 Lang: "flows away"
4 Lang: "In"
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 Christian Reinhold (1813 - 1856), no title, written 1841
This text was added to the website: 2006-12-05
Line count: 24
Word count: 100