by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Blicke mir nicht in die Lieder!
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG FIN FRE ITA NOR POR SPA SWE
Blicke mir nicht in die Lieder!
Meine Augen schlag' ich nieder,
Wie ertappt auf böser That;
Selber darf ich nicht getrauen,
Ihrem Wachsen zuzuschauen:
Deine Neugier ist Verrath.

Bienen, wenn sie Zellen bauen,
Lassen auch nicht zu sich schauen,
Schauen selber auch nicht zu.
Wann die reichen Honigwaben
Sie zu Tag gefördert haben,
Dann vor allen nasche du!

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•   G. Mahler 

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Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "No miris les meves cançons!", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Look not into my songs!", copyright ©
  • FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Erkki Pullinen) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Non curiosare fra i miei canti!", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • NOR Norwegian (Bokmål) (Marianne Beate Kielland) , "Kikk ikke på mine sanger!", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • POR Portuguese (Português) (Caê Vieira) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Elena María Accinelli) , "¡No miréis mis canciones!", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SWE Swedish (Svenska) (Yvonne Helander) , "Tjuvkika inte på mina sånger", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 58

Look not into my songs!
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Look not into my songs!
My eyes I lower,
as if I've been caught in an evil deed.
I can't even trust myself
to watch them grow.
Your curiosity is a betrayal!

Bees, when they build their cells,
also do not let anyone observe them;
even themselves.
When the rich honeycombs
are brought out to the light of day,
then you shall taste them before everyone else!

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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.


Based on:

 

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 67