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"Die Sonne [kam]1 im reinsten Glanze, Ach, wie ich's nur mit halben Auge sah! Nach Dir Geliebter schmerzlich schweift das ganze! O wärst Du da! Wie hold der Morgenwind erzählet! Die Vögel dort am Brunnen singen mir; Sie rufen mir: Was ist’s noch, das Dir fehlet?– O wärst Du hier! Ich bin so froh. Die Zeit der Wonne, Da Du auf ewig mein wirst, kommt schon nah. O stieg' sie schon, des Tages Zaubersonne! O wärst schon da! So irr’ ich nun in sel’gen Träumen, Und, was ich thue, thu’ ich einzig Dir. Du bist’s, Du [webst]2 um mich in allen Räumen, Bist tief in mir! Und doch will ich Dir’s nicht verhehlen: Bis ich Dich hör’ und seh lebendig nah Und küssen kann, wird mir doch Alles fehlen,– O wärst Du da!"
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)There are two manuscript copies of this unpublished poem: one in Marbach (Christian Reinhold Köstlin’s poetry manuscripts, Z 4131, poem 157, Deutsches Literaturarchiv, Marbach, Germany) and one in Stuttgart (Christian Reinhold Köstlin’s poetry manuscripts, Cod.hist. 4º 437, Fasz. 10a Nr. 2, poem 7 [9], Württembergische Landesbibliothek, Stuttgart, Germany). Lang’s setting is based on "her" copy (i.e., the one sent to her by Köstlin), which is held in Stuttgart.
Note: The poem is in quotation marks and in a feminine voice because Köstlin based it on the contents of a letter than Lang wrote to him.
1 in the Marbach poetry manuscript: "stieg"
2 Lang: "schwebst"; in the Marbach poetry manuscript: "lebst"
Text Authorship:
- by Christian Reinhold (1813 - 1856), "Ach wärst Du da! (in the Stuttgart manuscript)", written 1841 [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 Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "O wärst du da", op. 12 (Sechs Lieder) no. 4 (1841), published 1845 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 135
"The sun arose in the purest effulgence, Ah, how I only half saw it! Toward you, beloved, all [about me] moves painfully! Oh, if you were here! How gracefully the morning wind parleys [with me]! The birds there at the well sing to me; They call out to me: What is it that you lack?- Oh, if you were here! I am so glad. The time of joy, When you shall become mine forever, already nears. Oh, if it would only rise already, the magical sun of that day! Oh, if you were already here! Thus I wander aimlessly about, lost in happy dreams, And everything I do, I do for you alone. You are [my all], you [hover]1 around me everywhere, You are deep within me! And yet I do not wish to conceal it from you: Until I can hear and see you in the flesh before me, And can kiss you, I shall lack everything,- Oh, if you were here!"
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Translated titles:
"Ach wärst du da" = "Ah, if you were here"
"O wärst du da" = "Oh, if you were here"
1 Lang: "waft"; in the Marbach poetry manuscript: "dwell"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2006 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 Christian Reinhold (1813 - 1856), "Ach wärst Du da! (in the Stuttgart manuscript)", written 1841
This text was added to the website: 2006-11-26
Line count: 20
Word count: 164