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An dies Schifflein schmiege,
Holder See, dich sacht!
Frommer Liebe Wiege,
Nimm sie wohl in Acht!
Deine Wellen rauschen;
Rede nicht so laut!
Laß mich ihr nur lauschen,
Die mir viel vertraut!
...
Deine Wellen zittern
Von der Sonne Glut;
Ob sie's heimlich wittern,
Wie die Liebe tut?
Weit und weiter immer
Rück den Strand hinaus!
Aus dem Himmel nimmer
Laß uns steigen aus!
Fern von Menschenreden
Und von Menschensinn,
Als ein schwimmend Eden
Trag dies Schifflein hin!
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2,4-6 of the original text.
First published in the periodical Morgenblatt, November 9, 1840 (No. 268).
Note to Lang's setting: Lang was working a text that Köstlin had copied out for her (Christian Reinhold Köstlin’s poetry manuscripts, Cod.hist. 4º 437, Fasz. 10a Nr. 1, poem [23], Württembergische Landesbibliothek, Stuttgart, Germany); in that copy the poem began with "Um." With the exception of "rauschen" in stanza 3 (which was Lang's error) all the other differences are also from that poetry manuscript.
Composition:
- Set to music by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Auf dem See", op. 106 (Fünf Lieder) no. 2 (1885), published 1888, stanzas 1-2,4-6 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Simrock
Score: IMSLP [external link]
Text Authorship:
- by Christian Reinhold (1813 - 1856), no title, written 1840, appears in Gedichte, in Lieder und vermischte Gedichte, in Seelieder, no. 11, first published 1840
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Op het meer (Kabbel langs dit scheepje)", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Nestle up to this little boat", copyright ©
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Sur le lac", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 95
Nestle up to this little boat
Gently, lovely lake!
It is the cradle of devout love,
Guard it carefully!
Your waves are rushing;
Do not speak so loudly!
Let me listen only to her
Who entrusts many things to me!
...
Your waves tremble
Because of the blazing of the sun;
Do they secretly sense
How love behaves?
Far and ever farther
Move away from the shore!
Let us never disembark
From this heaven!
Far from the gossip of people
And from their ponderings,
Carry this little boat away
Like a floating Eden!
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2,4-6 of the original text.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2021 by Sharon Krebs, (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.
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Christian Reinhold (1813 - 1856), no title, written 1840, appears in Gedichte, in Lieder und vermischte Gedichte, in Seelieder, no. 11, first published 1840
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This text was added to the website: 2021-09-22
Line count: 24
Word count: 113