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Wär' ich der Regen, Ich wollte mich legen Der Erde an's Herz; Wie sollte sie blühen Und jauchzen und glühen! Wär' ich die Sonne, Ich sög' mich vor Wonne In's dampfende Meer; Wie sollt' es da rauschen, Um Küsse zu tauschen! Könnt' ich verwehen, Zu Nebel vergehen, Zerfließen in Luft; Ich hielt voll Erbarmen Die Welt in den Armen. So mit dem Herzen Voll Liebe und Schmerzen Verglüh' ich allein Und sinke in Flammen Und Asche zusammen.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Sämmtliche Werke von Julius Mosen, Vierter Band, Der Congreß von Verona, Leipzig: Wilhelm Friedrich Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1880, page 207.
Text Authorship:
- by Julius Mosen (1803 - 1867), no title, appears in Der Congreß von Verona [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 Julius (or Jules) André (1808 - 1880), "Sehnsucht", op. 57 ([Sieben] Lieder und Gesänge für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1875 [ voice and piano ], Offenbach, André [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hugo Brückler (1845 - 1871), "Sehnsucht", published 1874 [ voice and piano ], Dresden, Hoffarth [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilhelm Freudenberg (1838 - 1928), "Sehnsucht", op. 8 (8 Lieder und Gesänge) no. 2 [ soprano or tenor and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Walther von Goethe (1818 - 1885), "Sehnsucht" [ voice and piano ], unpublished [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , 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: 2008-07-06
Line count: 20
Word count: 77
Were I the rain, I would lay myself Upon the earth's heart; How it should blossom And rejoice and glow! Were I the sun, Out of sheer bliss I would Let myself be sucked into the steaming sea; How it should roar then In the exchanging of kisses! If I could dissipate, Dissolve into mist, Melt into air; Full of compassion I would Hold the world in my arms. [But] thus with my heart Full of love and pain, I am extinguished in solitude And I collapse into Flames and ashes.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of titles:
"Sehnsucht" = "Yearning"
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 Julius Mosen (1803 - 1867), no title, appears in Der Congreß von Verona
This text was added to the website: 2025-11-29
Line count: 20
Word count: 91