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Sag an, wer lehrt dich Lieder, So schmeichelnd und so zart? Sie [zaubern]1 einen Himmel Aus trüber Gegenwart. Erst lag das Land, verschleyert, Im Nebel vor uns da - Du singst - und Sonnen leuchten, Und Frühling ist uns nah. Den [Alten, Schilfbekränzten]2, Der seine Urne gießt, Erblickst du nicht, nur Wasser, Wie's durch die Wiesen fließt. So geht es auch dem Sänger, Er [singt und]3 staunt in sich; Was still ein Gott bereitet, Befremdet ihn, wie dich.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotesConfirmed with Gedichte von Johann Mayrhofer. Wien. Bey Friedrich Volke. 1824, page 9; and with Conversationblatt. Zeitschrift für wissenschaftliche Unterhaltung. Dritter Jahrgang. 1821. Nr. 69. (Wien, Mittwoch den 29. August) Im Verlage der Gerold'schen Buchhandlung, page 821.
Note: Schubert received Mayrhofer's texts generally in handwriting; the printed edition of Mayrhofer's poems appeared much later and presents the texts usually in a revised version.
1 Schubert: "rufen"2 Schubert: "schilfbekränzten Alten"
3 Schubert: "singt, er"
Text Authorship:
- by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836), "Geheimniß", subtitle: "An F. Schubert" [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 Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Geheimnis", D 491 (1816), published 1887 [ voice, piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Het geheim. Aan Franz Schubert", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Secret. To Franz Schubert", copyright ©
- ENG English [singable] (Yuxin (Sheila) Zhang) , "Secret. To Franz Schubert", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Secret. À Franz Schubert", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 80
Dis-nous qui t'apprend ces chants, Si flatteurs et si tendres ? Ils appellent un paradis À partir d'un présent morose. D'abord la terre s'étend voilée Dans le brouillard devant nous -- Tu chantes, et le soleil brille Et le printemps est près de nous. Le vieil homme couronné de roseaux Qui verse son urne, Tu ne l'examines pas, seulement l'eau, Qui coule à travers les prairies. Il en est ainsi avec le chanteur, Il chante, il s'étonne en lui-même ; Ce qu'un Dieu a créé en silence Le surprend aussi bien que toi.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2010 by Guy Laffaille, (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 Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836), "Geheimniß", subtitle: "An F. Schubert"
This text was added to the website: 2010-01-12
Line count: 16
Word count: 90