[Die stille Wasserrose]1
Steigt aus dem blauen See,
[Die Blätter flimmern und blitzen]2,
Der Kelch ist weiß wie Schnee.

Da gießt der Mond vom Himmel
All' seinen gold'nen Schein,
Gießt alle seine [Strahlen]3
In ihren Schooß hinein.

Im Wasser um die Blume
Kreiset ein weißer Schwan,
Er [singt]4 so süß, so leise
Und schaut die Blume an.

Er singt so süß, so leise
Und will im Singen vergehn --
O Blume, weiße Blume,
Kannst du das Lied verstehn?

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Emanuel Geibel, Gedichte, Vierte Auflage, Berlin: Verlag von Alexander Duncker, 1845, page 63.

¹ C. Schumann: "Die stille Lotusblume" or "Die stille Lotosblume"
² Lachner, Wegener-Koopman: "Die feuchten Blätter zittern"
³ Rheinberger: "Flammen"
⁴ Kücken: "singet"

Text Authorship:

• by Emanuel von Geibel (1815 - 1884), no title, appears in Jugendgedichte, in 1. Erstes Buch, in Lieder als Intermezzo, no. 9

See other settings of this text.

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Wijtse Rodenburg) , "De stille waterlelie", copyright © 2003, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (David Kenneth Smith) , "The quiet lotus-blossom/water-rose", copyright © 1996, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "La fleur de lotus immobile", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• SPA Spanish (Español) (Elisa Rapado) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 82

A silent water-lily 
From the dark lake doth rise ; 
Her tender snow-white blossom 
On the still water lies. 

The moon, from highest heaven, 
Pours down its golden light ; 
And all its rays are gathered 
Into that blossom bright. 

Around that snow-white flower 
A singing swan doth float ; 
It is his dying hour, 
It is his dying note. 

He pours his soul in music, 
His heart must break, ere long; 
O flower, -- snow-white flower ! 
Wilt thou not hear the song ?