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Was kann ich dir zu Liebe thun? -- So fragt der Mund wohl tausend Mal, Und fragt und fragt der Augen Strahl, Und sinnt das Herz im Stillen nach, Und kann doch nimmer, nimmer ruhn! Denn ach, denn ach! Nie kann's dir gnug zu Liebe thun! Was kann ich dir zu Liebe thun? O wenn's gelingt, mir dankt dein Mund, Mich küßt, mich küßt von Herzensgrund, Von Freudenzährn dein Aug' ist schwer, -- Ich Glücklicher, wie könnt' ich ruhn! Noch mehr, noch mehr Muß ich dir nur zu Liebe thun! Was kann ich dir zu Liebe thun? -- Wer gibt, wer nimmt ist selig gleich, Das ist der Liebe Himmelreich, Stets schöner, schöner Tag für Tag! Drum frag' ich fort und kann nicht ruhn: Wie mag, wie mag Ich Alles dir zu Liebe thun!
Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, pages 212-213.
Text Authorship:
- by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Was kann ich dir zur Liebe thun?", appears in Liederbuch, in 2. Liebeslieder, no. 240 [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 Rudolf Löw-Burckhardt (1832 - 1898) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilhelm Popp (1828 - 1903) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Philipp Tietz (1816 - 1878) [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "What can I do for you out of love?", 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: 2026-01-30
Line count: 21
Word count: 132
What can I do for you out of love? -- Thus ask my lips quite a thousand times, And the beam of my eyes asks and asks And in quietude my heart muses on it And yet can never, never rest! For alas, for alas! It can never do enough for you out of love! What can I do for you out of love? -- Oh, if I succeed, your lips thank me, Kissing me, kissing me from the depths of your heart, Your eyes laden with tears of joy, -- How could I, the happy one, rest! Yet more, yet more Must I do for you only out of love! What can I do for you out of love? -- Whoever gives, whoever takes is equally blessed, That is the heavenly realm of love, Ever more beautiful, more beautiful day after day! Therefore I continue asking and cannot cease: How might I, how might I Do everything for you out of love!
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), "Was kann ich dir zur Liebe thun?", appears in Liederbuch, in 2. Liebeslieder, no. 240
This text was added to the website: 2026-05-09
Line count: 21
Word count: 160