The power of love | You will dam the stream

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by (Johann) Gottfried Kinkel (1815 - 1882)

Translation © by Anja Bunzel

Liebesmacht

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Das Bächlein magst du dämmen 
wenn überschwillt die Fluth;
Gebietend magst du hemmen
Der Flammen rothe Gluth.
Den Falken magst du zähmen, 
Des Adlers Schwinge lähmen;
Doch eigen stilles Denken,
Und Herz und Liebe lenken
Ach, das vermagst du nicht.

Dem fernen Thal vertraust du 
Kein Samenstäubchen an;
Und doch im Lenze schaust du
Voll Blumen reich den Plan.
So keimt aus Herzensgrunde
Die holde Liebeskunde;
Der Rosen Fülle wecken, 
Und dann mit Schnee sie decken,
Nein, das vermagst du nicht.

Text Authorship:

by (Johann) Gottfried Kinkel (1815 - 1882) [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 Johanna Kinkel (1810 - 1858), "Liebesmacht", op. 19 (Sechs Lieder) no. 3, published 1848 [ alto or baritone and piano ], Cöln, Schloss [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Anja Bunzel) , "The power of love", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Anja Bunzel

This text was added to the website: 2014-07-24
Line count: 18
Word count: 81

The power of love

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

You will dam the stream
If it is flooded;
You will put out the red glow
Of the flames.
You will tame the hawk,
You will lame the eagle’s wings,
But, ach, you cannot
Think quietly and lead
Your love and your heart. 

You do not resign a single grain of sand
To the remote valley;
And yet you will look at all the flowers
In the springtime.
Deep from the heart, springs
The graceful love;
But, ach, you cannot
Discover the wealth of the rose
And cover the rose with snow.

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 (Johann) Gottfried Kinkel (1815 - 1882)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2014-07-25
Line count: 18
Word count: 92