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by Mechthild of Magdeburg (c1210 - 1285?91?)
Translation © by John Glenn Paton

Wenn ich scheine, so muß du leuchten
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
Wenn ich scheine, so mußt du leuchten,
wenn ich fließe, so mußt du tosen,
wenn du seufzest, so ziehst du mein göttlich Herz in dich hinein.
Wenn du weinest nach mir, so nehm ich dich in meinen Arm:
wenn du aber liebst, so werden wir zwei eines,
und wenn wir zwei so einig sind, so kann uns da
keine Trennung mehr scheiden,
sondern ein lustvolles Harren wohnt zwischen uns beiden.
Herr, so harre ich denn mit Hunger und mit Durst,
mit Hasten und mit Lust
bis zur leuchtenden Stunde,
da aus deinem göttlichen Mund
fließet das erwählte Wort,
das niemand gehört hat als die Seele allein,
die sich von der Erde entblößt
und ihr Ohr legt an deinen Mund -- 
ja, die begreift der Liebe Grund.
O du brennender Berg, du auserlesene Sonnen!
O du voller Mond, du grundloser Bronnen!
O du unerreichbare Höhe, o du Klarheit ohne Maß!
O Weisheit ohne Grund!
O Barmherzigkeit ohne Schranken!
O Macht ohne Widerstand!
O Krone aller Ehren!
Dich lobt der geringste, den du je erschaffen!

Text Authorship:

  • by Mechthild of Magdeburg (c1210 - 1285?91?), text arranged by Heinz Knorr from the version by Max Wehrli, in Deutsche Lyrik des Mittelalters, published by Manesse-Bibliothek der Weltliteratur, 1955 [author's text not yet checked 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 Hermann Reutter (1900 - 1985), "Wenn ich scheine, so muß du leuchten", 1977 [soprano and baritone with orchestra or piano], from Der Liebe will ich singen -- Minnelieder aus der Zeit der Staufer für zwei Singstimmen (Sopran und Bariton) mit Orchester oder Klavier, no. 5. [
     text verified 1 time
    ]

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

  • ENG English (John Glenn Paton) , title 1: "If I shine, you must beam", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: John Glenn Paton [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2009-12-14
Line count: 25
Word count: 172

If I shine, you must beam
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
If I shine, you must beam;
if I flow, you must storm;
if you sigh, you draw my divine heart into yourself.
If you weep for me, I take you in my arm:
but if you love, we two will become one,
and if we two are united, no separation
can then part us,
rather, a joyful heart lives between the two of us.
Lord, I wait then with hunger and thirst,
with haste and with joy
for the shining hour,
when from your divine mouth
will flow the chosen word
that no one has heard except the soul alone,
which divests itself of the earth
and lays its ear up to your mouth -- 
yes, it understands the basis of love.
O you burning mountain, you chosen suns!
O you full moon, you bottomless spring!
O you unreachable height, o you measureless clarity!
O wisdom without end!
O mercy without limit!
O power that cannot be withstood!
O crown of all honors!
You are praised by the poorest being that you ever created!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2010 by John Glenn Paton, (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 Mechthild of Magdeburg (c1210 - 1285?91?), text arranged by Heinz Knorr from the version by Max Wehrli, in Deutsche Lyrik des Mittelalters, published by Manesse-Bibliothek der Weltliteratur, 1955
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2010-04-03
Line count: 25
Word count: 173

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–Emily Ezust, Founder

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