by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Ich denke dein, wenn mir der Sonne...
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG ENG FRE IRI ITA POR
Ich denke dein, wenn mir der Sonne Schimmer
Vom Meere strahlt;
Ich denke dein, wenn sich des Mondes Flimmer
In Quellen mahlt.

Ich sehe dich, wenn auf dem fernen Wege
Der Staub sich hebt;
In tiefer Nacht, wenn auf dem schmalen Stege
Der Wandrer bebt.

Ich höre dich, wenn dort mit dumpfem Rauschen
Die Welle steigt.
Im stillen Haine geh' ich oft zu lauschen,
Wenn alles schweigt.

Ich bin bei dir, du seyst auch noch so ferne,
Du bist mir nah!
Die Sonne sinkt, bald leuchten mir die Sterne.
O wärst du da!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   L. Beethoven •   P. Wolfrum 

L. Beethoven sets stanza 1

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Confirmed with Goethe's Werke, Vollständige Ausgabe letzter Hand, Erster Band, Stuttgart und Tübingen, in der J.G.Cottaschen Buchhandlung, 1827, page 65, and with Musen-Almanach für das Jahr 1796, herausgegeben von Schiller. Neustrelitz, bei dem Hofbuchhändler Michaelis, page 5.

Note: Wilhelmj's score has a typo in stanza 1, line 3: word 5 is "dich" instead of "sich".


Text Authorship:

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Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Peter Rastl [Guest Editor] , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 102

I think of you when the sunlight...
NOTE: the footnotes have been removed from this text; return to general view
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
I think of you when the sunlight shimmers,
beaming from the sea;
I think of you when the moon's gleam
paints the streams.

I see you when, on distant roads,
the dust rises up;
in deep night, when on the narrow bridge
a traveler quivers.

I hear you when there, with a muffled roar,
the waves rise.
In the still grove I go often to listen,
when everything is silent.

I am with you, even if you are so far away.
You are near me!
The sun sinks, and soon the stars will shine for me.
O, if only you were here!

About the headline (FAQ)

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Translations of titles:
"Ich denke dein" = "I think of you"
"Ich denke Dein, wenn mir der Sonne Schimmer vom Meere strahlt" = "I think of you when the sunlight shimmers, beaming from the sea"
"Nähe der Geliebten" = "Near the beloved"
"Nähe des Geliebten" = "Near the beloved"
"Near the Beloved" = "Near the beloved"
"O wärst du da" = "O, if only you were here"


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:

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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 103