Poesie ist tiefes Schmerzen,
Und es kommt das echte Lied
Einzig aus dem Menschenherzen
Das ein tiefes Leid durchglüht.

Doch die höchsten Poesien
Schweigen wie der höchste Schmerz,
Nur wie Geisterschatten ziehen
Stumm sie durchs gebrochne Herz.

About the headline (FAQ)

View text with all available footnotes

Text Authorship:

• by Justinus (Andreas Christian) Kerner (1786 - 1862), "Poesie", appears in Gedichte, in Die lyrischen Gedichte [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 Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Poesie", 2013 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Carl Eduard Partzsch (1833 - 1890), "Poesie", op. 65 (Drei Lieder für Alt (oder Bariton) mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1876 [ alto or baritone and piano ], Braunschweig, Fischer & Mohr [sung text not yet checked]
• by Christian Immo Schneider (b. 1935), "Poesie. Dem Justinus-Kerner-Verein in Weinsberg zum 200. Geburtstagsjubiläum des Meisters", 1986, unpublished [sung text checked 1 time]
• by John Stainer (1840 - 1901), "Poesie", published 1892, from Seven Songs, no. 7, also set in English [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Justus Hermann Wetzel (1879 - 1973), "Kerner: Poesie", op. 5 (Sieben Gedichte) no. 5, published 1919 [sung text checked 1 time]

The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:

• by Wilhelm Platz , "Motto", published 1900, from Hundert Lieder, no. 1
  • View the full text. [sung text checked 1 time]
    

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

• Also set in English, a translation by John Stainer (1840 - 1901) , "Poesy" ; composed by John Stainer.
  • Go to the text.
    

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2008-06-16
Line count: 8
Word count: 37