Doe mij niet spreken, laat mij zwijgen | Doe mij niet spreken, laat mij zwijgen

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by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

Translation © by Lau Kanen

Lied der Mignon

(Sung text for setting by F. Schubert)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE GRE ITA ITA NOR

Heiß mich nicht reden, heiß mich schweigen,
Denn mein Geheimniß ist mir Pflicht;
Ich möchte dir mein ganzes Innre zeigen,
Allein das Schicksal will es nicht.

Zu rechter Zeit vertreibt der Sonne Lauf
Die finstre Nacht, und sie muß sich erhellen;
Der harte Fels schließt seinen Busen auf,
Mißgönnt der Erde nicht die tiefverborgnen Quellen.

Ein jeder sucht im Arm des Freundes Ruh,
Dort kann die Brust in Klagen sich ergießen;
Allein ein Schwur drückt mir die Lippen zu
Und nur ein Gott vermag sie aufzuschließen.

First published in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre. Ein Roman. Herausgegeben von Goethe. Dritter Band, Berlin. Bei Johann Friedrich Unger. 1795, pages 203-204. The poem appears in Book 5, Chapter 16 of Goethe's novel.

Composition:

Franz Peter Schubert

Gesänge aus Wilhelm Meister

Text Authorship:

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Mignon", written 1782, appears in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre, first published 1795

See other settings of this text.

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Doe mij niet spreken, laat mij zwijgen", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Don't ask me to speak", copyright ©
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Ne me dis pas de parler, dis-moi de me taire", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GRE Greek (Ελληνικά) [singable] (Christakis Poumbouris) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Non chiedermi di parlare", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Paolo Montanari) , "Non chiedere ch'io parli", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
NOR Norwegian (Bokmål) (Marianne Beate Kielland) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Thierry Morice , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 88

Doe mij niet spreken, laat mij zwijgen

(Sung text translation for setting by F. Schubert)

See original

Language: Dutch (Nederlands) after the German (Deutsch)

Doe mij niet spreken, laat mij zwijgen,
Wat mijn geheim mij ook gebiedt.
Mijn ganse ziel kon jij ontsloten krijgen,
Alleen het noodlot wil het niet.
 
Te rechter tijd verdrijft de komst der zon
De donk're nacht, het licht wordt uitgesponnen,
Graag opent ook zich 't harde rotsbeton,
't Misgunt de aarde niet haar diep verborgen bronnen.
 
Wij zoeken bij een vriend graag rust en licht,
Daar kan het hart vrijuit zijn klachten uiten,
Alleen een eed drukt mij de lippen dicht,
En slechts een god vermag ze te ontsluiten.

Text Authorship:

Singable translation from German (Deutsch) to Dutch (Nederlands) copyright © 2007 by Lau Kanen, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., please ask the copyright-holder(s) directly.
Lau Kanen. Contact: boudewijnkanen (AT) gmail (DOT) com

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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Mignon", written 1782, appears in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre, first published 1795
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This text was added to the website: 2007-05-22
Line count: 12
Word count: 90