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O daß du wardst hinweggenommen, Zu kehren nimmermehr zurück! Von einem Meere fortgeschwommen Ist seitdem all mein, all mein Glück! Vergebens blick' ich nach dem fernen Azurnen Himmel, rufend dir. Antwortete von all den Sternen Doch einer nur: "Er ist bei mir!" O spräch's nur aus den regen Winden, O spräch's nur aus dem Baum, dem Kraut: "Er ist in uns!", wollt's überwinden! Doch ach! von ihm kein Wort, kein Laut! Die Vögel singen bunte Weisen, Die Quellen murmeln Lust und Gram. Sie sprechen. O ich wollt' sie preisen, Verrieten sie, wohin er kam! Die Stern' erklingen, Winde tragen So manchen Laut durch Wald und Flur, Doch will man nach den Toten fragen, Gibt keine Antwort die Natur.
F. Hensel sets stanzas 1-2
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Kerners Werke, Zweiter Teil, Gedichte, ed. Raimund Pissin, Berlin, Leipzig, Wien, Stuttgart: Deutsches Verlagshaus Bong & Co., 1914, page 212.
Text Authorship:
- by Justinus (Andreas Christian) Kerner (1786 - 1862), no title, appears in Gedichte, in Die lyrischen Gedichte, in Des Bruders Tod, no. 3 [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 Fanny Hensel (1805 - 1847), "Totenklage", stanzas 1-2 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Oh, that you were taken away", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Plainte sur les morts", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2008-05-25
Line count: 20
Word count: 118
Oh, that you were taken away Nevermore to return! Since then all, all my happiness has been Washed away by an ocean. In vain I look toward the distant Azure sky, calling to you. Of all the stars only one Answered: "He is with me!" Oh, if it would only speak from the moving winds, Oh, if it would only speak from out the trees, the herbs: "He is within us!" I would conquer [my pain]! But ah, from him there is no word, no sound! The birds sing varied lays, The water springs murmur joy and sorrow. They speak. Oh, I would praise them, If they revealed whither he went! The stars resound, winds carry Many a sound through the forest and meadow, But if one wishes to inquire after the dead, Nature gives no answer.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2013 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 Justinus (Andreas Christian) Kerner (1786 - 1862), no title, appears in Gedichte, in Die lyrischen Gedichte, in Des Bruders Tod, no. 3
This text was added to the website: 2013-10-03
Line count: 20
Word count: 137