by Christian Reinhold (1813 - 1856)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Zu Tod möcht ich mich lieben
 (Sung text for setting by J. Lang)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
"Liebster Freund, und kann's denn sein,
Wächst noch immer diese Liebe?
Längst war ihr das Herz zu klein,
Quillt noch stets von neuem Triebe!
 
Tag für Tag und Nacht für Nacht
Füllt sich's fort aus ew'gen Quellen
Und das Herze weint und lacht,
Kann sich gar nicht mehr verstellen.
 
Süße Krankheit, himmlisch Leid!
Und so mag's die Welt denn wissen!
Der mich liebt, ist ach, so weit,
Und das Herz ist mir zerrissen.
 
Aber dann im Traum der Nacht,
O wie sind wir da beisammen,--
Süßer, als ich's je gedacht,--
Und sie tödten nicht die Flammen?
 
Ja, nur zu! Ich zage nicht
Dies allein ist mir geblieben,
Küss' mich, bis dies Herz zerbricht!
Ja zu todt möcht' ich mich lieben!"

Notes
The poem is in quotation marks and in a feminine voice because Köstlin based it on the contents of a letter than Lang wrote to him. In fact, on the Stuttgart poetry manuscript he wrote: "Da hab' ich eben geschwind noch ein Motiv aus deinem Brief aufgegriffen (Here I have quickly just snatched a motif yet from your letter)."
Stanza 1, line 1: in the Marbach poetry manuscript, the poem opens with "Herz, mein Herz" instead of "Liebster Freund"
Stanza 5, line 3: Lang (or possibly her publisher, since her song manuscript has "Küße mich"): "Ich liebe Dich! Bis dies Herz mir bricht"; and when the text is repeated: "das Herz"

Composition:

    Set to music by Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Zu Tod möcht ich mich lieben", op. 27 no. 6 (likely 1841), published 1872 [ voice and piano ], Stuttgart, Ebner

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: 20
Word count: 122

Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
"Dearest friend! And can it be?
Does this love continue to grow?
My heart has long been too small to hold it,
But it still wells forth ever new!
 
Day after day and night after night
It is filled again from eternal springs,
And my heart weeps and laughs;
It can no longer disguise what it feels.
 
Sweet sickness, heavenly pain!
And so the world may know it!
He who loves me is, ah, so far away,
And my heart is torn to shreds.
 
But then in the dream of night,
Oh how we are together there,--
Sweeter than I ever imagined,--
And flames of love do not kill?
 
Let it be so!  I do not hesitate.
This alone is left to me:
I shall love you! Until this heart of mine breaks!
Yes I would love unto death!"

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:

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This text was added to the website: 2006-12-13
Line count: 20
Word count: 140