Language: German (Deutsch)
Eilende Wellen
Spielend im Licht,
Wenn sie zerschellen,
Achten sie's nicht!
Sterne da schweifen
Viel tausend im Fluß;
Gleich wieder greifen
Sie einen zum Kuß!
In Schmerzen und Scherzen,
Spielen mir so
Die Lieder im Herzen
Unwandelbar froh.
Ist eines verklungen,
Ich denk' ihm nicht nach,
Kommt wieder gesprungen
Ein anderes nach.
Und fängt einen Funken
Vom Lichte geschwind,
Worin mir so trunken
Das Leben verrinnt.
Im Lichte der Liebe
Voll himmlischer Ruh',
O selig Getriebe,
So treibe nur zu!
Note: in Lang's song, stanza 2 has two different variants in the repetitions: “viel tausend zum Kuss" and "gleich wieder greifen sie wieder zum Kuss".
Composition:
Set to music by Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Am Fluße", op. 14 no. 2 (1841), published 1848 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel
Text Authorship:
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2006, (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: 88
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Hurrying waves
Frolicking in the light,
When they break,
They do not heed it!
Stars rove in the river
By the thousands;
The waves immediately
Catch and kiss one of them again.
Thus, in pain and in jesting
Songs play,
Within my heart
In unchangeable joy.
If one of the songs fades away,
I do not hanker after it,
For another song
Immediately leaps into its place,
And quickly catches
A spark from the light
Wherein, intoxicated,
My life flows away.
In the light of love,
Full of heavenly peace,
Oh blessed commotion,
Bustle onward thus!
Note: in Lang's song, stanza 2 has two different variants in the repetitions that can be translated: “many thousands and kiss them (“viel tausend zum Kuss") and "immediately again the waves catch them once more and kiss them ("gleich wieder greifen sie wieder zum Kuss").
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2006 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. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
Go to the general single-text view
This text was added to the website: 2006-12-05
Line count: 24
Word count: 100
