Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Ich hatte dir so viel zu sagen, Ich war zu lang im fremden Land, Und doch warst du in all den Tagen Die, die am besten mich verstand. Nun da ich meine erste Gabe, Die ich dir lange zugedacht, In zagen Kinderhänden habe, Hast du die Augen zugemacht. Doch darf ich fühlen, wie beim Lesen Mein Schmerz sich wunderlich vergißt, Weil dein unsäglich gütig Wesen Mit tausend Fäden um mich ist.
About the headline (FAQ)
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
Confirmed with Hermann Hesse, Sämtliche Werke, herausgegeben von Volker Michels, Band 10 Die Gedichte, bearbeitet von Peter Huber, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2002, page 119.
Text Authorship:
- by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Meiner Mutter", written 1902 [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 Oskar Baumann , "Meiner Mutter", op. 309 (Hermann Hesse-Lieder, 2. Folge) no. 4 (1947) [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Werner Bühler (1904 - 1968), "Meiner Mutter" [ high voice and piano ], from Lieder für eine höhere Singstimme nach Texten von Hermann Hesse, no. 20 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Hans Leicht (b. 1899), "Meiner Mutter ", 1952 [ voice unaccompanied ], from Sieben ein- und zweistimmige Lieder, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by V. D. Patrick , "Meiner Mutter ", <<1956 [ voice and piano ], from Vier Lieder, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Oskar Viktor Zack (1882 - 1963), "Meiner lieben Mutter", published 1925 [ 2-part chorus a cappella ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "To my mother", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2014-08-02
Line count: 12
Word count: 71
J'en avais tant à te dire, Je suis trop longtemps resté à l'étranger; Et pourtant pendant tous ces jours Tu fus celle qui me compris le mieux. Le premier cadeau que je te destine Et auquel j'ai pendant longtemps pensé, Je l'ai dans mes mains hésitantes d'enfant, Et maintenant tu as fermé les yeux. Mais je peux sentir combien en lisant Se fait bizarrement oublier ma peine, Car ton être indiciblement bienveillant Tisse mille fils autour de moi.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of title(s):
"Meiner lieben Mutter" = "À ma chère mère"
"Meiner Mutter" = "À ma mère"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2017 by Pierre Mathé, (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 Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Meiner Mutter", written 1902
This text was added to the website: 2017-12-27
Line count: 12
Word count: 78