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Gesänge aus Wilhelm Meister

by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828)

1. Mignon und der Harfner

Language: German (Deutsch) 
Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt
Weiß, was ich leide!
Allein und abgetrennt
Von aller Freude
Blick ich an's Firmament
Nach jener Seite.
Ach, der mich liebt und kennt,
Ist in der Weite.
Es schwindelt mir, es brennt
Mein Eingeweide.
Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt
Weiß, was ich leide!

Text Authorship:

  • by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Mignon", written 1785, appears in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre, first published 1795

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jan Evangelista Nečas) , "Táž"
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Slechts wie de hunk'ring kent", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Lawrence Snyder) , no title, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English [singable] (David Paley) , "Only my yearning shows", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GRE Greek (Ελληνικά) [singable] (Christakis Poumbouris) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • IRI Irish (Gaelic) [singable] (Gabriel Rosenstock) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Solo chi conosce la nostalgia", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Paolo Montanari) , copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • NOR Norwegian (Bokmål) (Marianne Beate Kielland) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • POR Portuguese (Português) (Ana Vargas) , copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Mercedes Vivas) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • TUR Turkish (Türkçe) (Gül Sabar) , copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

First published in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre. Ein Roman. Herausgegeben von Goethe. Zweyter Band. Berlin. Bei Johann Friedrich Unger. 1795, pages 265-266. The poem appears in Book 4, Chapter 11 of Goethe's novel.

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Lawrence Snyder , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor] , Johann Winkler

2. Lied der Mignon
 (Sung text)

Language: German (Deutsch) 
Heiß mich nicht reden, heiß mich schweigen,
Denn mein Geheimniß ist mir Pflicht;
Ich möchte dir mein ganzes Innre zeigen,
Allein das Schicksal will es nicht.

Zu rechter Zeit vertreibt der Sonne Lauf
Die finstre Nacht, und sie muß sich erhellen;
Der harte Fels schließt seinen Busen auf,
Mißgönnt der Erde nicht die tiefverborgnen Quellen.

Ein jeder sucht im Arm des Freundes Ruh,
Dort kann die Brust in Klagen sich ergießen;
Allein ein Schwur drückt mir die Lippen zu
Und nur ein Gott vermag sie aufzuschließen.

Text Authorship:

  • by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Mignon", written 1782, appears in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre, first published 1795

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Doe mij niet spreken, laat mij zwijgen", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Don't ask me to speak", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Ne me dis pas de parler, dis-moi de me taire", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GRE Greek (Ελληνικά) [singable] (Christakis Poumbouris) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Non chiedermi di parlare", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Paolo Montanari) , "Non chiedere ch'io parli", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • NOR Norwegian (Bokmål) (Marianne Beate Kielland) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

First published in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre. Ein Roman. Herausgegeben von Goethe. Dritter Band, Berlin. Bei Johann Friedrich Unger. 1795, pages 203-204. The poem appears in Book 5, Chapter 16 of Goethe's novel.

Research team for this page: Thierry Morice , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

3. Lied der Mignon

Language: German (Deutsch) 
So laßt mich scheinen, bis ich werde,
Zieht mir das weiße Kleid nicht aus!
Ich eile von der schönsten Erde
Hinab in jenes dunkle Haus.

Dort ruh' ich eine kleine Stille,
Dann öffnet sich der frische Blick;
Ich lasse dann die reine Hülle,
Den Gürtel und den Kranz zurück.

Und jene himmlischen Gestalten
Sie fragen nicht nach Mann und Weib,
Und keine Kleider, keine Falten
Umgeben den verklärten Leib.

Zwar lebt' ich ohne Sorg und Mühe,
Doch fühlt' ich tiefen Schmerz genung.
Vor Kummer altert' ich zu frühe;
Macht mich auf ewig wieder jung.

Text Authorship:

  • by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Mignon", written 1796, appears in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre, first published 1796

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Laat mij zo lijken tot ik zijn zal", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "So let me seem", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Lasciatemi apparire così", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Paolo Montanari) , "Così lasciate che io appaia, finché non mi trasformi", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • NOR Norwegian (Bokmål) (Marianne Beate Kielland) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • POR Portuguese (Português) (Ana Vargas) , "Deixe-me aparecer, até que eu seja", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

First published in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre. Ein Roman. Herausgegeben von Goethe. Vierter Band. Berlin. Bei Johann Friedrich Unger. 1796, pages 259-260. The poem appears in Book 8, Chapter 2 of Goethe's novel.

Research team for this page: Richard Morris , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

4. Lied der Mignon

Language: German (Deutsch) 
Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt
Weiß, was ich leide!
Allein und abgetrennt
Von aller Freude
Blick ich an's Firmament
Nach jener Seite.
Ach, der mich liebt und kennt,
Ist in der Weite.
Es schwindelt mir, es brennt
Mein Eingeweide.
Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt
Weiß, was ich leide!

Text Authorship:

  • by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Mignon", written 1785, appears in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre, first published 1795

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jan Evangelista Nečas) , "Táž"
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Slechts wie de hunk'ring kent", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Lawrence Snyder) , no title, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English [singable] (David Paley) , "Only my yearning shows", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GRE Greek (Ελληνικά) [singable] (Christakis Poumbouris) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • IRI Irish (Gaelic) [singable] (Gabriel Rosenstock) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Solo chi conosce la nostalgia", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Paolo Montanari) , copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • NOR Norwegian (Bokmål) (Marianne Beate Kielland) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • POR Portuguese (Português) (Ana Vargas) , copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Mercedes Vivas) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • TUR Turkish (Türkçe) (Gül Sabar) , copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

First published in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre. Ein Roman. Herausgegeben von Goethe. Zweyter Band. Berlin. Bei Johann Friedrich Unger. 1795, pages 265-266. The poem appears in Book 4, Chapter 11 of Goethe's novel.

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Lawrence Snyder , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor] , Johann Winkler
Total word count: 291
Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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