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Was flüstert in deinen Zweigen, Du duftender Fliederbaum? Die Blüthen nicken und neigen Sich wie [im]1 Elfenreigen; Mir wird dabei so eigen, Als läg' ich im tiefsten [Traum]2, Als seien es meine Grüße, Die flüsternd mich umwehn, Als sei's mein eig'nes Flehn: "Ich hab dich lieb, du Süße!" Wohl hab' ich's leise gesungen, Als ich den Strauß mir brach; Nun singt's mit tausend Zungen Der Fliederbaum mir nach[;] Nun singen's die Nachtigallen Auch schon im schattigen Thal: Ich habe dich lieb vor Allen "In Lust und auch in Qual." Und in die weite Runde Klingt immer weiter das Lied, Von Munde geht's zu Munde Und Allen bringt's die Kunde, Die ich in stiller Stunde Dem Fliederbaum verrieth; Und Alle plaudern das süße Geheimniß weiter aus, Den Spruch vom Fliederstrauß: "Ich habe dich lieb und grüße!" Doch nein! Noch ist's verschwiegen, Noch weiß es kein Menschenkind, Die Blüthen neigen und wiegen Sich stumm im Abendwind. Mir aber ward zum Traume Des Herzens süße Qual; Ich grüß' unter'm Fliederbaume "Dich tausend vieltausend Mal!"
Confirmed with Gesammelte Gedichte von Hermann Grieben, Heilbronn: Verlag von Gebr. Henninger, 1875, pages 81-82
Note: The poem has a Geibel quote from the poem Spielmanns Lied as a subtitle, each line of which is used as the final line of each of Grieben’s poetic stanzas:Ich hab dich lieb, du Süße, In Lust und auch in Qual, Ich habe dich lieb und grüße Dich tausend vieltausend Mal.1 Erdmannsdörfer: "zum"
2 Erdmannsdörfer: "Traume"
Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Grieben (1822 - 1890), "Fliederlied" [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 Max Erdmannsdörfer , "Fliederlied", op. 22, published 1875 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Seitz [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Lilac song", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2011-11-17
Line count: 36
Word count: 171
What whispers in your branches, You scented lilac tree? The blossoms nod and bow As if [in]1 an elfin roundelay; I feel so peculiar as I perceive it, As if I lay in the deepest dream, As if it were my own greetings That waft about me, whispering, As if it were my own pleading: "I love you, you sweet one!" I sang it quite quietly As I broke a bouquet for myself; Now the lilac bush repeats it after me With a thousand tongues; Now in the shadowy valley as well The nightingales already sing it: I love you above all others "In joy and also in sorrow." And into the wide expanse The song rings out ever farther, It passes from mouth to mouth And to everyone it carries the news That I, in a quiet hour, Revealed to the lilac tree; And everyone spreads the sweet Secret farther abroad, The words from the lilac bouquet: "I love you and send you greetings!" But no! It is still a secret, No human knows it yet, The blossoms bow and sway Mutely in the evening breeze. But for me the sweet agony Of my heart became a dream; Under the lilac tree, I greet "You many thousands of times!"
1 Erdmannsdörfer: "going to"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 by Sharon Krebs, (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 Hermann Grieben (1822 - 1890), "Fliederlied"
This text was added to the website: 2017-04-29
Line count: 36
Word count: 210