Gesang der Sterne
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Language: German (Deutsch)
Ruhig umkreisen wir,
Leuchtende Knaben, hier
Dich, Ewigkeit!
Haben auf deine Macht
Ewiges Lied erdacht,
Singen's in stiller Nacht
Wandernder Zeit.
Maß süßer Harmonie,
Das uns Natur verlieh,
Lenkt unsern Gang.
Aber mit freiem Tritt,
Irrend holdsel'gem Schritt,
Geht Gottes Liebe mit,
Führt den Gesang.
Kreisend mißt unser Zug
Sommers und Winters Flug,
Misst Nacht und Tag.
Aber kein Schlummer ist
Hier, wo man nicht vergißt;
Und keine Stunde mißt
Ewigen Tag.
Ringender Geister Schaar
Bringen wir opfernd dar,
Freunde des Sohns,--
Selber wir ringenden,
Nächte durchdringenden,
Hölle bezwingenden
Engel des Throns.
So gehn wir wandellos
Hin in Allvaters Schooß,
Boten des Herrn;
Tönend im Kreise dicht,
Selig bewußter Pflicht,
Führt uns dein himmlisch Licht,
Bethlehems Stern.
Confirmed with: C. Reinhold, Gedichte, Stuttgart: Carl Mäcken, 1853, pages 59-60.
Composition:
Set to music by Oswald Lorenz (1806 - 1889), "Gesang der Sterne", published 1841 [ women's chorus and piano ], in: Sammlung von Musik-Stücken alter und neuer Zeit als Zulage zur Neuen Zeitschrift für Musik, Heft 15 (November 1841)
Text Authorship:
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Song of the stars", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs
[Senior Associate Editor]This text was added to the website: 2025-02-02
Line count: 35
Word count: 122
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch)
Quietly here we,
Shining youths,
Orbit around you, Eternity!
In praise of your power, we have
Conceived an eternal song;
We sing it in the quiet night
Of wandering time.
The measure of sweet harmony
That Nature gave us
Directs our path.
But with unfettered tread,
With most lovely meandering steps,
God’s love walks with us,
Leading the song.
Circling, our path measures
The flight of summer and winter,
Measuring night and day.
But there is no slumber
Here, where one does not forget;
And no hour measures
Eternal day.
The throng of struggling spirits
We bring as offerings,
Friends of the Son,--
We ourselves struggling,
Penetrating nights,
Conquering hell
Are angels of the throne.
Thus we go on unchangingly
Thither, to the lap of the Allfather,
Messengers of the Lord;
As we resound in a close circle
Of the duty of which we are blessedly aware,
Your heavenly light leads us,
Bethlehem's star.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2025 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: 2025-02-02
Line count: 35
Word count: 160