The stars | In the dark

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by Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand Enslin (1819 - 1875)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Die Sterne

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

In der dunkeln, 
Weiten Himmelsferne
Lieblich funkeln 
Dort die goldnen Sterne.

Freundlich flimmern 
Diese Gotteslichter:
Also schimmern 
Engelsangesichter. 

Deine Wunder,
Gott, den ich nicht sehe,
Schaun herunter
Von der Himmelshöhe.

Deine Güte,
Gott, an den ich glaube,
Mein Gemüthe
Hebt sie aus dem Staube.

In den Höhen
Kann mein Geist dich merken,
Kann dich sehen,
Gott, in deinen Werken!

Confirmed with Karl Enslin, Fromm und frei. Gedichte, Leipzig: F.A. Brockhaus, 1856, pages 97-98.

Text Authorship:

by Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand Enslin (1819 - 1875), "Die Sterne", appears in Fromm und frei [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 Hans Michael Schletterer (1824 - 1893), "Die Sterne", op. 60 (Zehn Chorduette für Sopran- und Altstimmen mit Pianoforte zum Gebrauch in vorgerückten Gesangsklassen) no. 10, published 1886 [ sa chorus and piano ], Leipzig: Kistner [sung text not yet checked]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The stars", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-02-10
Line count: 20
Word count: 59

The stars

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

In the dark
Broad distances of Heaven
Gently sparkle
There the golden stars.

Amiably twinkle
These lights of God:
Thus shimmer
The faces of the angels.

Thy wonders,
God, whom I do not see,
Gaze down
From the heights of heaven.

Thy benevolence,
God, in whom I believe,
My spirit
It lifts from the dust.

In the heights
My spirit may discern Thee,
May see Thee,
God, in Thy works!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2025 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand Enslin (1819 - 1875), "Die Sterne", appears in Fromm und frei
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2025-02-13
Line count: 20
Word count: 70