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Wüßt' ich, mein Glöcklein, Wann es wird läuten, Ließ' ich ein Bettlein Golden bereiten. Bettlein gelbgolden, Decklein kristallen, -- Mir und der Holden Sollt' es gefallen! Drüber zwei Kränze Zusammengewunden, -- Weil wir durch Liebe Beide verbunden. Über den Kränzen Zwei wächserne Kerzen, -- Daß sie erleuchten Unsere Herzen. In beiden Kränzen Zwei Tulpen, weißhelle, -- Weil sie noch Jungfrau, Ich Junggeselle. An jeder Tulpe Zwei weiße Nelken, -- Weil unsre Herzen So rein verwelken. Und an den Nelken Bänder grün, -- Weil wir so jung schon Welkten dahin.
Confirmed with Slavische Melodien von Siegfried Kapper, Leipzig: Wilhelm Einhorn, 1844, pages 8-9.
Text Authorship:
- by Siegfried Kapper (1821 - 1879), "Letzter Wille", appears in Slavische Melodien, in Aus dem Slovakenlande, first published 1844 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Slovak (Slovenčina) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Robert Fuchs (1847 - 1927), "Letzter Wille", op. 65 (Drei Gesänge für vierstimmigen Frauenchor mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 1, published 1900 [ four-part women's chorus and piano ], Leipzig, Robitschek [sung text not yet checked]
- by Walther von Goethe (1818 - 1885), "Letzter Wille", op. 22, Heft 1 no. 5, published 1851 [ voice and piano ], from Slavische Bilder, no. 5, Bonn: N. Simrock [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Last will", copyright © 2025, (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: 2010-03-12
Line count: 28
Word count: 84
If I knew, my little bell, When it would toll, I would have a little bed Of gold prepared. Little bed, golden yellow, Crystalline coverlet, -- It should please Me and the lovely one! Above it two wreaths Twined together, -- Because we two are United by love. Above the wreaths Two waxen candles, -- So that they may Light up our hearts. In both wreaths Two tulips, bright white, -- Because she is still a maiden, I [still] a celibate. By every tulip Two white carnations, -- Because our hearts Fade [and perish] so purely. And upon the carnations Green ribbons, -- Because we faded away While we were still so young.
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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Siegfried Kapper (1821 - 1879), "Letzter Wille", appears in Slavische Melodien, in Aus dem Slovakenlande, first published 1844
Based on:
- a text in Slovak (Slovenčina) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) [text unavailable]
This text was added to the website: 2025-12-01
Line count: 28
Word count: 108