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Schon such' ich mondenlang das eine Wort, Und stets mit heißem Drang das eine Wort, Doch wie ich sinnen mag, ich find's zu keiner Frist, Das eine Wort, wie du so lieb mir bist! Und kläng's wie Engelsang, das eine Wort, Im schönsten, vollsten Klang, das eine Wort, Ich könnt's dir sagen nicht, und säng' ich's Tag und Nacht, [Ach! wie ein Blick]1 von dir mich glücklich macht! Ja, such' ich noch so lang das eine Wort, [Nie find' ich lebenslang]2 das eine Wort; Im tiefsten Herzen doch erklingt's zu jeder Frist, Das eine Wort, wie du so lieb mir bist!
Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, page 161.
1 Abt: "Als wie ein Wort"2 Abt: " Im schönsten, vollsten Klang,"
Text Authorship:
- by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Das eine Wort", appears in Liederbuch, in 2. Liebeslieder, no. 182 [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 Franz Wilhelm Abt (1819 - 1885), "Das eine Wort", op. 364a (3 Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1869 [ voice and piano ], Offenbach, André; note: we have added the letter 'a' to this opus because it was used later in the same year by a different publisher [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Philipp Tietz (1816 - 1878) [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The one word", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2020-11-05
Line count: 12
Word count: 104
For many moons already I seek the one word, And ever with fervent urges the one word, But no matter how I ponder, I find it at no time, The one word, [to say] how dearly I love you! And though it rung out like the singing of angels, the one word, In the most beautiful, richest sound, the one word, I could not tell it to you, though I sang it day and night, [Ah! how a single glance]1 from you makes me happy! Yes, though I searched ever so long for the one word, [Never in my life would I find]2 the one word; Yet in the deepest depths of my heart it sounds at all times, The one word, [to say] how dearly I love you!
1 Abt: "How a word"
2 Abt: "In the most beautiful, rich sound,"
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), "Das eine Wort", appears in Liederbuch, in 2. Liebeslieder, no. 182
This text was added to the website: 2026-01-27
Line count: 12
Word count: 132