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In crime and enmity they lie Who sin and tell us love can die, Who say to us in slander's breath That love belongs to sin and death. From heaven it came on angel's wing To bloom on earth, eternal spring; In falsehood's enmity they lie Who sin and tell us love can die. 'Twas born upon an angel's breast. The softest dreams, the sweetest rest, The brightest sun, the bluest sky, Are love's own home and canopy. The thought that cheers this heart of mine Is that of love; love so divine They sin who say in slander's breath That love belongs to sin and death. The sweetest voice that lips contain, The sweetest thought that leaves the brain, The sweetest feeling of the heart-- There's pleasure in its very smart. The scent of rose and cinnamon Is not like love remembered on; In falsehood's enmity they lie Who sin and tell us love can die.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by John Clare (1793 - 1864), "Love cannot die" [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 Ian Venables (b. 1955), "Born upon an angel's breast", op. 31 no. 1 (1997) [ tenor and string quartet ], from Invite to Eternity, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Liebe kann nicht sterben", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Bertram Kottmann
This text was added to the website: 2008-11-27
Line count: 24
Word count: 157
In Schuld und Frevel lebt, wer sündigt und uns den Tod der Liebe kündigt, uns lästernd mit der Lüge droht, dass Liebe Sünde sei und Tod. Sie kam uns zu auf Engelsschwingen, uns Blüh'n und ew'gen Lenz zu bringen; in Schuld und Frevel lebt, wer sündigt und uns den Tod der Liebe kündigt. Aus Engels Herz kam sie zur Welt. Im liebsten Traum, auf stillstem Feld, in blau'sten Himmel, hellster Sonn, dort findest du der Liebe Thron. Mit Herz und Sinn ich froh bedenk: Die Liebe ist ein Gottgeschenk. In Schuld und Frevel lebt, wer sündigt und uns den Tod der Liebe kündigt. Das Lieblichste, das Lippen sagen, das Schönste, das Gedanken tragen, das süßeste Gefühl im Herzen - Freud' ist selbst in der Liebe Schmerzen. Süßer als Zimt und Rosenduft ist, wenn zurück man Liebe ruft; in Schuld und Frevel lebt, wer sündigt und uns den Tod der Liebe kündigt.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2013 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
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Based on:
- a text in English by John Clare (1793 - 1864), "Love cannot die"
This text was added to the website: 2013-06-28
Line count: 24
Word count: 150