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Lüftchen, ihr plaudert so viel und so laut, Hab' euch doch nie mein Geheimnis vertraut! Nein! ach nein! ich schweig ja still, Weil ich ja ewig schweigen will! Küsst ihr mir bittend auch Hand und Gesicht, Schmeichelnde Lüftchen, ich sag' es euch nicht! Was ich wohl mögte? Gern zög ich mit euch! Ruhte ein Weilchen im grünen Gezweig, Flöge dann weiter zum lieben Ort, Haucht ein kleines, ein einziges Wort, Aber was heimlich im Herzen mir spricht, Kosende Lüftchen, euch sag' ich es nicht. Eilt ihr nun weiter und lässt mich allein? Stürmet nicht wild gleich durch Feld und durch Hain, Hemmet noch einmal den zorn'gen Lauf, Höret ihr Schelme, doch horcht mir recht auf! Hört, was ich denke, so süss, ach! so licht! Plaudernde Lüftchen, noch sag' ich es nicht.
J. Lang sets lines 1-4
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with all available footnotesNote: the published Lang score mentions Byron as the poet, but no candidate for the original has yet been found for this stanza, only for the second stanza of the song. The catalog Periodica musicalia mentions the setting by Georg Müller and attributes these lines to A. de M.; the Gollmick score gives the poet as A. d. M.
Note: Rungenhagen inserts "nein, nein" a number of times with his repetitions of the text of the last line of each stanza.
Text Authorship:
- possibly by Anonymous / Unidentified Author ( A. de M. ? ) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
- possibly by Henriette Eleonore Agnes Gräfin zu Stolberg-Stolberg, née von Witzleben (1761 - 1788) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
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Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2006-12-05
Line count: 18
Word count: 152
Little breezes, you murmur so much and so loudly. Yet I have never entrusted you with my secret! No! ah no! I remain silent, Because I plan to remain silent forever! Though you may pleadingly kiss my hand and face, Flattering little breezes, I shall not tell you my secret! What would I like to do? I would gladly travel with you! I would rest a while in the green branches, Would then fly onward to the dear place, Would breathe a tiny, a single word, But that which secretly speaks within my heart, Caressing little breezes, that I shall not tell you. Do you now hurry onward and leave me alone? Do not immediately storm so wildly through field and through grove, Arrest once more your angry motion, Listen, you imps, but hearken well to me! Listen to what I think, so sweet, ah! so bright! Caressing little breezes, that I shall not tell you yet.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with all available footnotesTranslated titles:
"Die plaudernden Lüftchen" = "The chattering little breezes"
"Das Geheimniss" = "The secret"
"Lüftchen, ihr plaudert" = "Little breezes, you murmur"
"Lied" = "Song"
Note: Rungenhagen inserts "nein, nein" (in English: "no, no") a number of times with his repetitions of the text of the last line of each stanza.
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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) possibly by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist and possibly by Henriette Eleonore Agnes Gräfin zu Stolberg-Stolberg, née von Witzleben (1761 - 1788)
Go to the general view
This text was added to the website: 2006-12-05
Line count: 18
Word count: 170