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[Wie]1 lieblicher Klang! O Lerche! dein Sang, [Er hebt sich, er schwingt]2 sich in Wonne. Du nimmst mich von hier, Ich singe mit dir, Wir steigen durch Wolken zur Sonne. O Lerche! du neigst Dich nieder, du schweigst, Du sinkst in die blühenden Auen. Ich schweige zumal Und sinke zuthal, Ach! tief in Moder und Grauen.
F. Mendelssohn sets stanza 1
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Note: modern German would change the spelling "zuthal" to "zutal" or "zu Tal"
1 Dannehl: "O"; further changes may exist not noted above.2 Kreutzer: "Erhebt sich und schwingt"
Text Authorship:
- by Johann Ludwig Uhland (1787 - 1862), "Lied des Gefangenen", written 1806, appears in Lieder [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 (Carl or Caspar) Joseph Brambach (1833 - 1902), "Lied des Gefangenen", op. 17 (12 dreistimmige Chorlieder für Sopran-, Mezzosopran- und Alt mit Pianoforte) no. 9, published 1871 [ three-part women's chorus and piano ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Dannehl (1870 - 1947), "Lied des Gefangenen", op. 14 (Zwei Lieder für 1 Singtimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1895 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Paez [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karl Ludwig Friedrich Hetsch (1806 - 1872), "Lied des Gefangenen" [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Mathilde von Kralik (1857 - 1944), "Lied des Gefangenen", published 1899 [ voice and piano ], from Jugend-Lieder, no. 10, Wien : Albert J. Gutmann; confirmed with a cd booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Conradin Kreutzer (1780 - 1849), "Lied des Gefangenen", op. 60, Heft 2 (2. Folge der Frühlings- und Wanderlieder) no. 10, KWV 9107 no. 10 [ voice and piano ], from 12 Lieder und Romanzen von L. Uhland, für 1 und 2 Singstimmen mit Pianoforte, no. 10, Leipzig, Kistner [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847), "Lerchengesang", alternate title: "Kanon", op. 48 no. 4 (1839), stanza 1 [ chorus ], from Der erste Frühlingstag - Sechs Lieder im Freien zu singen, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Otto (1809 - 1842), "Lied des Gefangenen ", op. 6 no. 2, published 1877 [ vocal quartet of male voices a cappella ], from Sechs Gesänge für vier Männerstimmen, no. 2, Regensburg, Coppenrath [sung text not yet checked]
- by Siegfried Salomon (flourished 1895+), "Lied des Gefangenen", op. 2 (Drei Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1895 [ voice and piano ], Hamburg, Leichssenring [sung text not yet checked]
- by Moritz Scharf (1838 - 1908), "Lied des Gefangenen", op. 34 (Acht Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 6, published 1891 [ voice and piano ], Magdeburg, Haushahn Sort. [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Donald George) , no title, copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Chant du prisonnier", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Tinelot Wittermans , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 58
What a sweet song! O lark! Your song, It lifts, it swings in delight. You take me from here, I sing with you, We climb through clouds to the sun. O lark! You curve Down, you are silent, You sink into the blooming meadows. I am also silent And sink to the valley, Ah! Deep in mold and horror.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of titles:
"Lied des Gefangenen" = "Song of the prisoner"
"Lerchengesang" = "The song of the lark"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2018 by Donald George, (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 Ludwig Uhland (1787 - 1862), "Lied des Gefangenen", written 1806, appears in Lieder
This text was added to the website: 2018-12-04
Line count: 12
Word count: 59