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Helft mir, ihr Schwestern, Freundlich mich schmücken, Dient der Glücklichen heute mir. Windet geschäftig Mir um die Stirne Noch der blühenden Myrte Zier. Als ich befriedigt, Freudigen Herzens, [Dem]1 Geliebten im Arme lag, Immer noch rief er, Sehnsucht im Herzen, Ungeduldig den [heut'gen]2 Tag. Helft mir, ihr Schwestern, Helft mir verscheuchen Eine thörichte Bangigkeit; Daß ich mit klarem Aug' ihn empfange, Ihn, die Quelle der Freudigkeit. Bist, mein Geliebter, Du mir erschienen, Giebst [du, Sonne, mir]3 deinen Schein? Laß mich in Andacht, Laß mich in Demuth, [Mich]4 verneigen dem Herren mein. Streuet ihm, Schwestern, Streuet ihm Blumen, [Bringt]5 ihm knospende Rosen dar. Aber euch, Schwestern, Grüß' ich mit Wehmuth, Freudig scheidend aus eurer Schaar.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Gedichte von Adelbert von Chamisso, Neunzehnte Auflage (19th edition), Berlin, Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1869, pages 12-13.
Modernized spelling would change "thörichte" to "törichte", "giebst" to "gibst", "Demuth" to "Demut", "Wehmuth" to "Wehmut", and "Schaar" to "Schar"1 Schumann: "Sonst dem"
2 Loewe, Schumann: "heutigen"
3 Schumann: "du mir, Sonne,"
4 Loewe, Schumann: "Laß mich"
5 Schumann: "bringet"
Text Authorship:
- by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838), no title, appears in Lieder und lyrisch epische Gedichte, in Frauen-Liebe und Leben, no. 5 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Lorenz Lehmann (1807 - 1852), "Helft mir ihr Schwestern", op. 34 no. 3, published 1837 [ voice and piano ], from Vier Lieder von A. von Chamisso, no. 3, Berlin, Stackebrandt [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carl Loewe (1796 - 1869), "Helft mir, ihr Schwestern", op. 60 no. 5 (1836), from Frauenliebe, Liederkranz von Chamisso, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Helft mir, ihr Schwestern", op. 42 no. 5 (1840), published 1843 [ voice and piano ], from Frauenliebe und -Leben, no. 5, Leipzig, Whistling [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Ajudeu-me, germanes", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- CHI Chinese (中文) (Mei Foong Ang) , "幫幫我, 我的姊妹們", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DAN Danish (Dansk) (Maryanna Morthensen) , "Hjælp mig, søstre", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Help mij, mijn zusters", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Daniel Platt) , "Help me, ye sisters", 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) , "Vous sœurs, aidez-moi", 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) , "Aiutatemi, sorelle", 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
- RUS Russian (Русский) (Natalia Vyshynska) , "Помогите мне, сёстры", 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: 30
Word count: 119
Help me, my sisters, help me beautify myself, serve this happy woman today. Busily braid around my forehead the ornament of blooming myrtle. When I used to lie contented, my heart full of joy, in the arms of my beloved, he always begged, his heart full of longing, impatiently for this day to come. Help me, my sisters, help me chase away this childish anxiety, so that I may receive him with clear eyes, he, the source of all my joyousness. Have you, my beloved, appeared before me, to give me your light, oh my sun? Let me in devotion, let me in humility, let me bow down before my lord. Scatter, my sisters, scatter flowers before him, present him with budding roses. But you, my sisters, I bid you a melancholy farewell, as I nevertheless joyously leave your flock.
About the headline (FAQ)
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
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838), no title, appears in Lieder und lyrisch epische Gedichte, in Frauen-Liebe und Leben, no. 5
This text was added to the website: 2014-02-17
Line count: 30
Word count: 140