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by Johann Gabriel Seidl (1804 - 1875)
Translation © by Laura Prichard

Ständchen
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG
Zu des Mondes sanftem Schimmer
Schickt sich wohl ein sanftes Lied,
Das mit seinem Lichtgeflimmer
Still in offne Herzen zieht.

Wenn die Strahlen freundlich fallen
Auf [das Liebe]1 Fensterlein,
Schleicht wohl auch des Liedes Schallen
Unbemerkt such mit hinein.

Licht und Klang soll sich vereinen
Zu der Liebe [treuem]2 Flehn,
Jenes hold ihr Haupt umscheinen,
Dieser mild ihr Ohr umwehn!

Wenn sie wacht, so [zaubre]3 leise
Licht und Klang [das Aug' ihr]4 zu
Und verweb' auf Wunderweise 
Still mein Bild in ihre Ruh'.

Wenn sie schläft, so [rufe]5 leise
Licht und Klang sie wieder wach,
Lock' auf wunderbare Weise
Ihr Gefühl sich schmeicheld [nach]6.

Locke sie zum Fenster [wieder]7,
Unter dem ihr Sänger steht, 
Bis vom treuen [Munde nieder]8 
Ihm ein [Laut]9 der Liebe weht.

Lasse sie ergriffen lauschen,
Lasse sie den Vorhang ziehn,
Zweifelnd, ob die Strahlen rauschen,
Ob die Töne strahlend glühn.

Noch ein Griff dann in die Saiten,
Noch ein [Gruß]10 mit voller Macht,
Noch ein stiller Wink vom weiten,
Und dann -- gute, gute Nacht!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   G. Meyerbeer 

G. Meyerbeer sets stanzas 1-5, 7, 6, 8

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Natur und Herz. Lyrische Nachlese von Johann Gabriel Seidl, Stuttgart, Druck und Verlag von Eduard Hallberger, 1853, pages 213-214.

1 Meyerbeer: "des Liebchens"
2 Meyerbeer: "leisem"
3 Meyerbeer: "zaubern"
4 Meyerbeer: "ihr Auge"
5 Meyerbeer: "rufen"
6 Meyerbeer: "wach"
7 Meyerbeer: "nieder"
8 Meyerbeer: "Mund hernieder"
9 Meyerbeer: "Gruß"
10 Meyerbeer: "Klang"

Text Authorship:

  • by Johann Gabriel Seidl (1804 - 1875), "Ständchen", appears in Natur und Herz, first published 1852 [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 Louis Huth (1810 - 1859), "Ständchen", op. 25 (Sechs Lieder mit leichter Begleitung) no. 6, published 1841 [ voice and piano ], Berlin: T. Trautwein [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Leopoldo Langwara (1831 - 1894), "Ständchen", op. 6 (Zwei Lieder) no. 2 [ voice and piano ], Hamburg: Cranz [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791 - 1864), "Ständchen", 1841, stanzas 1-5,7,6,8 [ tenor and piano ], also set in French (Français) [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in French (Français), a translation by Maurice Bourges (1812 - 1881) ; composed by Giacomo Meyerbeer.
      • Go to the text.

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

  • ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Serenade", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Laura Prichard [Guest Editor] , Dr Melissa Givens [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2017-05-30
Line count: 32
Word count: 180

Serenade
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
The moon’s soft shimmer,
Complementing a tender song
With its glowing light,
Quietly moves open hearts.
When the beams fall brightly
On my lover’s little window,
May the notes of my song
Glance inside it.

Light and sound will unite
In the silent tenderness of love,
One shining softly around her head,
Another blowing gently by her ear.
If she wakes, enchant her eyes with
Moonlight and melody,
And subtly weave
My image into her sleep.

If she’s asleep, call softly:
Light and sound will wake her up,
Curling around her in a wonderful way,
Coaxing her emotions to awake.
Let her listen, moved,
Let her draw open the curtain,
Incredulous, even if the beams of light rustle,
[And] even if the musical tones glow and sparkle.

Entice her to come to the window,
Under which stands her serenader,
Until, from her faithful lips, drifts down
To him a greeting of love.
One more strum of the strings,
One more sound at full strength,
One more silent wink of parting,
And then good, good night.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 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:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Gabriel Seidl (1804 - 1875), "Ständchen", appears in Natur und Herz, first published 1852
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2017-06-12
Line count: 32
Word count: 175

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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