Liebliches Kind,
Kannst du mir sagen,
Warum einsam und stumm
Zärtliche Seelen
Immer sich quälen,
Selbst sich betrüben,
Und ihr Vergnügen
Immer nur ahnen,
Da wo sie nicht sind?
Kannst du mir's sagen,
Liebliches Kind?
Composition:
Set to music by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Serenade", op. 70 (Vier Gesänge) no. 3, published 1877 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Simrock
Text Authorship:
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Serenade (Lieftallig kind)", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , no title, copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Mia cara fanciulla", copyright © 2008, (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: 12
Word count: 41
Lovely child,
can you tell me,
why, alone and mute,
tender souls
always torture themselves,
why they make themselves gloomy,
and why they seem to suspect
that their pleasures
will be where they are not;
can you not tell me this,
lovely child?
