by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838)
Translation © by Kyle Gee

Du Ring an meinem Finger
 (Sung text for setting by C. Loewe)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT CHI DAN DUT ENG ENG FRE HEB ITA NOR POR RUS
Du Ring an meinem Finger,
  Mein goldenes Ringelein,
Ich drücke dich fromm an die Lippen,
  Dich fromm an das Herze mein.

Ich hatt' ihn ausgeträumet,
  Der Kindheit friedlichen Traum,
Ich fand allein mich, verloren
  Im öden, unendlichen Raum.

Du Ring an meinem Finger,
  Da hast du mich erst belehrt,
Hast meinem Blick erschlossen
  Des Lebens unendlichen Werth.

Ich werd' ihm dienen, ihm leben,
  Ihm angehören ganz,
Hin selber mich geben und finden
  Verklärt mich in seinem Glanz.

Du Ring an meinem Finger,
  Mein goldenes Ringelein,
Ich drücke dich fromm an die Lippen,
  Dich fromm an das Herze mein.
Modernized spelling would change "Werth" to "Wert"

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Text Authorship:

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • CHI Chinese (中文) (Mei Foong Ang) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DAN Danish (Dansk) (Maryanna Morthensen) , "Du ring på min finger", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Daniel Platt) , "Thou ring on my finger", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Kyle Gee) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Toi, anneau à mon doigt", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • HEB Hebrew (עברית) (Max Mader) (Tsippora Samberg) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Tu anello al mio dito", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • NOR Norwegian (Bokmål) (Marianne Beate Kielland) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • POR Portuguese (Português) (Joana Albergaria Teixeira) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • RUS Russian (Русский) (Natalia Vyshynska) , "Ты, кольцо на моём пальце", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 105

Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
You, ring on my finger,
my little golden ring,
I press you devoutly to my lips,
to my heart.

I had dreamed time and time again,
the peacefully beautiful childhood dream,
I found myself lost
in an empty, endless space.

You, ring on my finger,
you have just now taught me,
you have opened up my eyes
to the infinitely deep value of life.

I want to serve him, to live for him,
to belong to him completely,
to fully give myself to him,
and to find myself transfigured in his radiance.

You, ring on my finger,
my little golden ring,
I press you devoutly to my lips,
to my heart.

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Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 by Kyle Gee, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.

    Kyle Gee.  Contact: kyleanthonygee (AT) gmail (DOT) com

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This text was added to the website: 2014-02-17
Line count: 20
Word count: 111