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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.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

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by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
Translation © by Rodrigo Ruiz

Selige Sehnsucht
 (Sung text for setting by K. Zelter)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG SPA
Sagt es niemand, nur den Weisen,
Weil die Menge gleich verhöhnet,
Das Lebend'ge will ich preisen,
Das nach Flammentod sich sehnet. 

In der Liebesnächte Kühlung,
Die dich zeugte, wo du zeugtest,
Überfällt dich fremde Fühlung,
Wenn die stille Kerze leuchtet. 

Nicht mehr bleibest du umfangen
In der Finsternis Beschattung, 
Und dich reißet neu Verlangen
Auf zu höherer Begattung. 

Keine Ferne macht dich schwierig,
Kommst geflogen und gebannt,
Und zuletzt, des Lichts begierig, 
Bist du, Schmetterling, verbrannt. 

Und so lang du das nicht hast,
Dieses: Stirb und werde! 
Bist du nur ein trüber Gast
Auf der dunklen Erde. 

 ... 

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-5 of the original text.

Composition:

    Set to music by Karl Friedrich Zelter (1758 - 1832), "Selige Sehnsucht", Z. 127 no. 4, published 1826, stanzas 1-5 [ bass and piano ], from Sechs deutsche Lieder für die Bass-Stimme mit Begleitung des Pianoforte, no. 4, Berlin: T. Trautwein

Text Authorship:

  • by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Selige Sehnsucht", written 1814, appears in West-östlicher Divan, in 1. Buch des Sängers -- Moganni Nameh, first published 1816

See other settings of this text.

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

  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Blissful yearning", copyright ©
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Rodrigo Ruiz) , "Bendito anhelo", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 111

Bendito anhelo
 (Sung text translation for setting by K. Zelter)
 See original
Language: Spanish (Español)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Decidlo a nadie, solo a los sabios,

pues la gente enseguida se burla;

al principio de la vida alabaré,

que la muerte de flamas desea.

En la frescura de las noches de amor

que te engendraron, donde engendraste,

te asalta una extraña sensación

cuando la silenciosa vela alumbra.

No más permaneces envuelto
en la oscuridad sombría,

y te atrae un nuevo anhelo

hacia más elevada cópula.

Ninguna distancia te hace pesar,

vienes volando y encantado,

y finalmente, ansioso de luz,

eres, mariposa, quemada.

Y mientras tú no tengas ésto;

este: ¡Morir y transformarse!,

serás solo un pobre visitante

en la oscura Tierra.

 ... 

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-5 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to Spanish (Español) copyright © 2022 by Rodrigo Ruiz, (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) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Selige Sehnsucht", written 1814, appears in West-östlicher Divan, in 1. Buch des Sängers -- Moganni Nameh, first published 1816
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2022-06-27
Line count: 24
Word count: 102

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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