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Andre sehn an meiner Frauen Alles schwarz und voll von Flecken. Doch wie scharf ich auch mag schauen, Kann doch keinen Fehl entdecken. Nur dem Maulwurf jene gleichen, Der in Nacht den Weg nur findet Und wenn er zum Licht will steigen, Vor des Lichtes Pracht erblindet. Doch wie sich die Sonne wende Auf und ab nach allen Winden, Ob sie etwa Schatten fände, Keinen Schatten kann sie finden. In die Himmel blickt sie heilig, Doch sie sieht nur Lichter glühen; Um die Erde rückt sie eilig, Doch sie sieht die Nacht nur fliehen. Auf die nächtigen Wolken schaut sie, Schon mit Golde sie umglänzend, Und den Schnee vom Boden thaut sie, Ihn mit Blumen schon umkränzend.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Richard Kralik, Büchlein der Unweisheit, Wien: Verlag von Carl Konegen, 1885, page 18.
Text Authorship:
- by Richard von Kralik (1852 - 1934), no title, appears in Büchlein der Unweisheit, in Tanz-Idyllen, no. 9 [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 Mathilde Kralik (1857 - 1944), "Andre sehen an meiner Frauen", 1927 [ voice and piano ], from Tanz-Idylle, no. 10 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Others, when viewing my wife, see", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2020-08-29
Line count: 20
Word count: 117
Others, when viewing my wife, see Everything black and full of spots. But however acutely I may look, I cannot detect a single flaw. Those people are like a mole Who only finds its way in the night And when it desires to ascend to the light, Is blinded by the light's resplendence. But whichever way the sun may turn Up and down in all directions, Seeking to find a shadow; No shadow can it find. It gazes into the heavens in holiness, Yet it sees only lights glowing; It hastens around the earth, But it only sees night fleeing. It gazes upon the nighttime clouds Already causing them to sparkle with gold, And it melts the snow upon the ground, Already wreathing it with flowers.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2020 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 Richard von Kralik (1852 - 1934), no title, appears in Büchlein der Unweisheit, in Tanz-Idyllen, no. 9
This text was added to the website: 2020-08-30
Line count: 20
Word count: 126