Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
If you wish to reprint translations, please use the Reprint Basket (upper right hand corner).
Reminder: You must always use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
In the bleak mid-winter Frosty wind made moan; Earth grew hard as iron, Water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, ... , In the bleak mid-winter Long, long ago. ... heaven cannot hold Him, Nor earth sustain, ... When He comes to reign: ... ... What can I give Him Poor as I am? -- If I were a Shepherd I would bring a lamb, If I were a Wise Man I would do my part,-- ... what I can I give Him, -- Give my heart.
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2,5 of the original text.
First published in Scribner's Monthly, January 1872Composition:
- Set to music by Michael John Trotta (b. 1978), "In the bleak midwinter", published 2010, stanzas 1-2,5 [ SATB chorus, piano, and oboe ], Colla Voce
Text Authorship:
- by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894), "A Christmas Carol"
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Geart van der Meer) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRI Frisian (Geart van der Meer) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 40
Word count: 177
Tief im kalten Winter
brach ein Sturm herein;
Erde lag wie Eisen.
Wasser wie Gestein;
Schnee ging nieder, bergeschwer,
Schnee auf Schnee lag schwer,
tief im kalten Winter
lang ist’s her.
Nicht fassen kann der Himmel,
nicht halten Ihn die Erd’,
Erde, Himmel wird vergeh’n,
wenn Gott wiederkehrt:
tief im kalten Winter
ein Stall die Herberg’ ist
dem Herrn in Seiner Allmacht,
Jesus Christ.
...
Was kann ich schenken,
arm, der ich bin? -
Wäre ich ein Hirte,
gäb’ ein Lamm ich hin,
wär ich klug, dann wüsst' ich’s,
fänd’ es anderwärts.
Doch was ich kann, das schenk’ ich -
schenk’ mein Herz.
About the headline (FAQ)
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2,5 of the original text.
Text Authorship:
- Singable translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2014 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in English by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894), "A Christmas Carol"
Go to the general single-text view
This text was added to the website: 2014-12-30
Line count: 40
Word count: 159