by
Paul Heyse (1830 - 1914)
Führ mich, Kind nach Bethlehem!
Language: German (Deutsch) after the Spanish (Español)
Our translations: CAT ENG FRE
Führ mich, Kind nach Bethlehem!
Dich, mein Gott, dich will ich sehn.
Wem geläng' es, wem,
Ohne dich zu dir zu gehn!
Rüttle mich, daß ich erwache,
Rufe mich, so will ich schreiten;
Gieb die Hand mir, mich zu leiten,
Daß ich auf den Weg mich mache.
Daß ich schaue Bethlehem,
Dorten meinen Gott zu sehn.
Wem geläng' es, wem,
Ohne dich zu dir zu gehn!
Von der Sünde schwerem Kranken
Bin ich träg und dumpf beklommen.
Willst du nicht zu Hülfe kommen,
Muß ich straucheln, muß ich schwanken.
Leite mich nach Bethlehem,
Dich, mein Gott, dich will ich sehn.
Wem geläng' es, wem,
Ohne dich zu dir zu gehn!
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
Based on:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Gustav Flügel (1812 - 1900), "Führ mich Kind", op. 43 (Geistliche Lieder aus dem spanischen Liederbuche v. E. Geibel u. P. Heyse) no. 4, published 1855 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], Leipzig, Merseburger [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903), "Führ mich, Kind nach Bethlehem", 1889-90, from Spanisches Liederbuch: Geistliche Lieder, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-08
Line count: 20
Word count: 110
Lead me, child, to Bethlehem!
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Lead me, child, to Bethlehem!
You, my God, I wish to see.
Who could succeed, who,
to reach You, without You[r help]?*
Shake me, so I’ll wake up,
Call to me, so I can proceed;
Give me a hand, in order to lead me,
So that I can make my way [to You].
[Through] this [process], I’ll behold Bethlehem,
There my God to see.
Who could succeed, who,
To reach You, without You[r help]?1
From sin’s heavy sickness
Am I sluggish and anxiously gloomy.
If you don’t want to come help me,
I must stumble, I must waver.
Guide me to Bethlehem,
You, my God, I wish to see.
Who could succeed, who,
to reach You, without You[r help]?1
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)
1 note: this expresses an ironic tension that the singer cannot find the Christ child without being led by the presence of the Christ child.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2015 by Laura Prichard, (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:
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2015-12-27
Line count: 20
Word count: 121