I have adjured many

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by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)

Translation © by Anja Bunzel

Da hab ich viel blasse Leichen

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Da hab ich viel blasse Leichen
Beschworen mit Wortesmacht;
Die wollen nun nicht mehr weichen
Zurück in die alte Nacht.

Das zähmende Sprüchlein vom Meister
Vergaß ich vor Schauer und Graus;
Nun ziehn die eignen Geister
Mich selber ins neblichte Haus.

Laßt ab, ihr finstern Dämonen!
Laßt ab, und drängt mich nicht!
Noch manche Freude mag wohnen
Hier oben im Rosenlicht.

Ich muß ja immer streben
Nach der Blume wunderhold;
Was bedeutet' mein ganzes Leben,
Wenn ich sie nicht lieben sollt?

Ich möcht sie nur einmal umfangen
Und pressen ans glühende Herz!
Nur einmal auf Lippen und Wangen
Küssen den seligsten Schmerz!

Nur einmal aus ihrem Munde
Möcht ich hören ein liebendes Wort -
Alsdann wollt ich folgen zur Stunde
Euch, Geister, zum finsteren Ort.

Die Geister habens vernommen,
Und nicken schauerlich.
Feins Liebchen, nun bin ich gekommen;
Feins Liebchen, liebst du mich?

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), appears in Buch der Lieder, in Junge Leiden, in Traumbilder, no. 10 [author's text not yet checked 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 Johann Wolfgang von Ehrenstein (d. 1870), "Da hab' ich viel blasse Leichen", op. 9 (Jugendträume : Muskalische Deklamationen), Heft 2 no. 10 [sung text not yet checked]
by Johanna Kinkel (1810 - 1858), "Die Geister haben's vernommen", op. 6 (Sechs Lieder) no. 3, published 1839 [sung text not yet checked]
by Franz Krežma (1862 - 1881), "Traumbild", op. 3 (Zwölf Lieder für 1 hohe Stimme mit Pianoforte) no. 12 (1877), published 1879 [ high voice and piano ], Wien, Gutmann [sung text not yet checked]
by Theodor Ratzenberger (1840 - 1879), "Da hab' ich viel blasse Leichen", op. 13 (Vier Lieder) no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Anja Bunzel) , copyright © 2014, (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: 28
Word count: 142

I have adjured many

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

I have adjured many
Pale corpses with all my power of words;
They do not want to disappear
Back into the old night.

I forgot the magician’s taming
Verse out of fear,
Now, my own ghosts 
Pull me into the foggy house.

Let go, you dark demons!
Let go, and do not push me!
Some pleasure may want to live
Up here in the light of the roses.

I always have to aim
For the lovely flower;
What is my life worth,
If I cannot love her?

I only want to embrace her once,
And press her onto my heart!
I only want to kiss her, yet in pain,
Kiss her lips and cheeks. 

I only want to hear a nice word
Out of her mouth,
Then I want to follow you,
Ghosts, follow you to the dark place.

The ghosts have heard my desire
And nodded gruesomely.
My love, now I have arrived,
My love, do you love me?

About the headline (FAQ)

Kinkel's title: "The ghosts have heard my desire"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2014 by Anja Bunzel, (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 Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), appears in Buch der Lieder, in Junge Leiden, in Traumbilder, no. 10
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2014-07-24
Line count: 28
Word count: 160