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by Johann Gabriel Seidl (1804 - 1875)
Translation © by Laura Stanfield Prichard

Ständchen
 (Sung text for setting by G. Meyerbeer)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
Zu des Mondes sanftem Schimmer
Schickt sich wohl ein sanftes Lied,
Das mit seinem Lichtgeflimmer
Still in offne Herzen zieht.

Wenn die Strahlen freundlich fallen
Auf des Liebchens Fensterlein,
Schleicht wohl auch des Liedes Schallen
Unbemerkt such mit hinein.

Licht und Klang soll sich vereinen
Zu der Liebe leisem Flehn,
Jenes hold ihr Haupt umscheinen,
Dieser mild ihr Ohr umwehn!

Wenn sie wacht, so zaubern leise
Licht und Klang ihr Auge zu
Und verweb' auf Wunderweise 
Still mein Bild in ihre Ruh'.

Wenn sie schläft, so rufen leise
Licht und Klang sie wieder wach,
Lock' auf wunderbare Weise
Ihr Gefühl sich schmeicheld wach.

 ... 

Lasse sie ergriffen lauschen,
Lasse sie den Vorhang ziehn,
Zweifelnd, ob die Strahlen rauschen,
Ob die Töne strahlend glühn.

Locke sie zum Fenster nieder,
Unter dem ihr Sänger steht, 
Bis vom treuen Mund hernieder 
Ihm ein Gruß der Liebe weht.

 ... 

Noch ein Griff dann in die Saiten,
Noch ein Klang mit voller Macht,
Noch ein stiller Wink vom weiten,
Und dann -- gute, gute Nacht!

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-5,7,6,8 of the original text.

Composition:

    Set to music by Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791 - 1864), "Ständchen", 1841, stanzas 1-5,7,6,8 [ tenor and piano ], also set in French (Français)

Text Authorship:

  • by Johann Gabriel Seidl (1804 - 1875), "Ständchen", appears in Natur und Herz, first published 1852

See other settings of this text.

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

  • ENG English (Laura Stanfield Prichard) , "Serenade", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Laura Stanfield Prichard [Guest Editor] , Dr Melissa Givens [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2017-05-30
Line count: 32
Word count: 180

Serenade
 (Sung text translation for setting by G. Meyerbeer)
 See original
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
The moon’s soft shimmer,
Complementing a tender song
With its glowing light,
Quietly moves open hearts.
When the beams fall brightly
On my lover’s little window,
May the notes of my song
Glance inside it.

Light and sound will unite
In the silent tenderness of love,
One shining softly around her head,
Another blowing gently by her ear.
If she wakes, enchant her eyes with
Moonlight and melody,
And subtly weave
My image into her sleep.

If she’s asleep, call softly:
Light and sound will wake her up,
Curling around her in a wonderful way,
Coaxing her emotions to awake.
Let her listen, moved,
Let her draw open the curtain,
Incredulous, even if the beams of light rustle,
And even if the musical tones glow and sparkle.

Entice her to come to the window,
Under which stands her serenader,
Until, from her faithful lips, drifts down
To him a greeting of love.
One more strum of the strings,
One more sound at full strength,
One more silent wink of parting,
And then good, good night.

 ... 

 ... 

 ... 

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-5,7,6,8 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 by Laura Stanfield Prichard, (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 Gabriel Seidl (1804 - 1875), "Ständchen", appears in Natur und Herz, first published 1852
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2017-06-12
Line count: 32
Word count: 175

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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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