English translations of 5 Gebete für Baß und Orgel, opus 65

by Hans Fleischer (1896 - 1981)

1. Gebet  [sung text not yet checked]
by Hans Fleischer (1896 - 1981), "Gebet", op. 65 (5 Gebete für Baß und Orgel) no. 1 (1929) [ bass and organ ]
Language: German (Deutsch) 
[Herr]1, den ich tief im Herzen trage, sei du mit mir!
Du Gnadenhort in Glück und Plage, sei du mit mir!
[Im Brand des Sommers, der dem Manne die Wange bräunt, 
Wie in der Jugend]2 [Rosenhage]3 [sei du mit mir;]2 
Behüte mich am Born der Freude vor Übermuth, 
[Und]4 wenn ich an mir selbst verzage, sei du mit mir.
[Gieb deinen Geist zu meinem Liede, daß rein es sei,
Und daß kein Wort mich einst verklage, sei du mit mir.]2 
Dein Segen ist wie Thau den Reben; nichts kann ich selbst, 
Doch daß ich kühn das Höchste wage, sei du mit mir, 
O du mein Trost, du meine Stärke, [mein]5 Sonnenlicht, 
Bis an das Ende meiner Tage [sei]6 du mit mir!

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Confirmed with Gedichte von Emanuel Geibel. Zweite Periode. Einundzwanzigste Auflage, Stuttgart, Verlag des J. G. Cotta'schen Buchhandlung, 1873, page 69. In other editions, "du" (referring to God) is often capitalized.

Note: in many older editions, the spelling of the capitalized word "über" becomes "Ueber", but this is often due to the printing process and not to rules of orthography, since the lower-case version is not "ueber", so we use "Über".

Modernized spelling would require changing "Übermuth" to "Übermut", "Gieb" to "Gib", "Thau" to "Tau", etc.

1 Marschner: "Du"
2 omitted by Hiller
3 Fehnberger: "Rosentage" ; Marschner: "Rosentagen"; Lachner: "Rosenhain"; omitted by Hiller
4 omitted by Lachner
5 Marschner: "o du mein"
6 Marschner: "O Herr, sei"

by Emanuel von Geibel (1815 - 1884)
1. Prayer
Language: English 
 My Father whom I carry deep in my heart,
 you are with me.
 Thy mercy thru' good and evil,
 be thou with me.
 Guard me at the fountain of joy
 from all evil,
 and if I despair at my lot,
 be thou with me.
 Thy blessing is as the dew to the grape,
 I myself can do nothing;
 however that I dare the highest boldly,
 be thou with me,
 o you are my solace, you are my strength,
 and my sunlight,
 until the end of my days,
 be thou with me.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by John H. Campbell, (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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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 92

Translation © by John H. Campbell
2. Gebet  [sung text not yet checked]
by Hans Fleischer (1896 - 1981), "Gebet", op. 65 (5 Gebete für Baß und Orgel) no. 2 (1929) [ bass and organ ]
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Die du über die Sterne weg
  Mit der geleerten Schale
[Aufschwebst]1, um sie [am ew'gen Born]2
  [Eilig]3 wieder zu füllen:
Einmal schwenke sie noch, o Glück,
  Einmal, lächelnde Göttin!
Sieh, ein einziger Tropfen hängt
  Noch verloren am Rande,
Und der einzige Tropfen genügt,
  Eine himmlische Seele,
Die hier unten in Schmerz erstarrt,
  Wieder in Wonne zu lösen.
Ach! sie weint dir [süßeren]4 Dank,
  Als die [anderen]5 alle,
Die du glücklich und reich gemacht;
  Laß ihn fallen, den Tropfen!

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Confirmed with Hebbels Werke, Erster Teil, Gedichte -- Mutter und Kind, herausgegeben und mit einem Lebensbild versehen von Theodor Poppe, Berlin, Leipzig, Wien, Stuttgart: Deutsches Verlagshaus Bong & Co., [1908], pages 127-128

1 Brückler: "Aufsteigst"
2 Brückler: "aus ewigem Borne"
3 Brückler: "Eiligst"
4 Brückler: "süßern", Pfitzner, Reger: "süßrern"
5 Brückler: "andern"; Pfitzner, Reger: "andren"

by (Christian) Friedrich Hebbel (1813 - 1863)
2. Prayer
Language: English 
You who [float]1 upward beyond the stars
  With the emptied bowl,
In order to fill it anew [with haste]2:
  [At]3 the eternal wellspring,
Shake it just once more, oh Fortune,
  Once more, smiling goddess!
Lo, a single droplet still hangs
  Lost along the rim.
And that single droplet suffices
  To release one heavenly soul,
Which down here is frozen in anguish,
  [To release it] once more into joy.
Ah, it shall weep sweeter gratitude to you
  Than all the other souls
Whom you have made happy and wealthy;
  Let it fall, the droplet!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 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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Translations of title(s):
"Gebet an die Glücksgöttin" = "Prayer to the goddess of good fortune"
"Gebet" = "Prayer"

1 Brückler: "rise"
2 Brückler: "with great haste"
3 Brückler: "from"


This text was added to the website: 2017-02-11
Line count: 16
Word count: 96

Translation © by Sharon Krebs
3. Gebet  [sung text not yet checked]
by Hans Fleischer (1896 - 1981), "Gebet", op. 65 (5 Gebete für Baß und Orgel) no. 3 (1929-35) [ bass and organ ]
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Herr! schicke, was du [willt]1,
Ein Liebes oder Leides;
Ich bin vergnügt, daß beides
Aus deinen Händen quillt.

Wollest mit Freuden 
[Und wollest]2 mit Leiden
Mich nicht überschütten!
Doch in der Mitten,
Liegt holdes Bescheiden.

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Confirmed with Eduard Mörike, Gedichte, Dramatisches, Erzählendes, Zweite, erweiterte Auflage, Stuttgart: J.G. Cotta'sche Buchhandlung Nachf., 1961, pages 134-135.

1 the modern form, "willst", is often used instead.
2 Wallnöfer: "Wollest"

by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875)
3. Prayer
Language: English 
Lord, send what You will,
love or sorrow;
I am content that both
spring from Your hands.

But may you wish with neither joy 
nor sorrow
to overwhelm me!
For in the middle
lies modest contentment.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust

    Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:

    Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
    from the LiederNet Archive

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.


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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 9
Word count: 36

Translation © by Emily Ezust
4. Gebet
by Hans Fleischer (1896 - 1981), "Gebet", op. 65 (5 Gebete für Baß und Orgel) no. 4 (1929) [ bass and organ ]
Language: German (Deutsch) 
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by Johann Gottfried Seume (1763 - 1810)
4.
[Translation not yet available]
5. Gebet
by Hans Fleischer (1896 - 1981), "Gebet", op. 65 (5 Gebete für Baß und Orgel) no. 5 (1929) [ bass and organ ]
Language: German (Deutsch) 
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by Lilly Leyendecker
5.
[Translation not yet available]