Laura | Heaven-filled day, when, because of Laura's gaze

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by Friedrich von Matthisson (1761 - 1831)

Translation © by Malcolm Wren

Laura

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

        Dolce nella memoria!
                --Petrarca

Tag voll Himmel! da, aus Laura's Bliken,
Mir der Liebe heiligstes Entzüken
In die tiefgerührte Seele drang!
Und, von ihrem Zauber hingerissen,
Ich der Frommen, unter Feuerküssen,
An den süßbeklomnen Busen sank!

O! wie da, im seligsten Getümmel
Niegefühlter Freuden, Erd' und Himmel
Mir Beglüktem ringsumher vergieng!
Sanfte Glut durch meine Adern glühte,
Aus dem hocherfreuten Auge sprühte,
Wenn es schmachtend an dem ihren hieng!

Goldner sah ich Wolken sich besäumen,
Jedes Blätchen auf den Frühlingsbäumen
Schien zu flüstern: Sie ist ewig dein!
Glüklicher, in solcher Taumelfülle,
Werd' ich, nach verstäubter Erdenhülle,
Nur in Edens Mirthenlauben sein!

Confirmed with Lieder von Friedrich Matthisson. Vermehrte Auflage. Dessau, 1783, page 63; and with Friedrich Matthissons Gedichte herausgegeben von Gottfried Bölsing. Band I. Die Gedichte von 1776-1794. Nebst einem Anhang. Gedruckt für den litterarischen Verein in Stuttgart, Tübingen 1912, pages 31-32.

This is the initial version of Matthisson's poem Entzückung; see below.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich von Matthisson (1761 - 1831), "Laura", written 1776-78, first published 1781 [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):

[ None yet in the database ]

Set in a modified version by Franz Peter Schubert.

Go to the text. [ view differences ] DUT ENG FRE

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

ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , "Laura", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2017-07-27
Line count: 20
Word count: 97

Laura

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

        'Sweet in memory!'
               --Petrarch

Heaven-filled day, when, because of Laura's gaze,
The most sacred entchantment of love
Overwhelmed my deeply stirred soul!
And, drawn forward by her magic,
Under fiery kisses, I approached the pious one
And sank onto her sweetly apprehensive breast!

Oh! there, in the most blessed turmoil
Of joys never felt before, Earth and Heaven
Seemed to disappear around me in my happiness!
A gentle glow burned through my veins
And flashed from my overjoyed eyes 
When they looked longingly into hers!

The clouds appeared to me to be lined with more and more gold,
Each little leaf on the spring trees
Seemed to whisper, 'She is for ever yours!'
Lucky me, this is such a perfect frenzy
That I shall not experience anything like it until this earthly husk has turned to dust
And I am surrounded by the myrtle leaves of Eden!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 by Malcolm Wren, (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 Friedrich von Matthisson (1761 - 1831), "Laura", written 1776-78, first published 1781
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2017-07-28
Line count: 20
Word count: 143