O sey nicht so spröde
Language: German (Deutsch)
O sey nicht so spröde,
Du liebliches Kind!
Komm, sink an die Brust mir,
Und küss' mich geschwind!
Verschmähst du die Lippe,
Die Liebe dir bot:
Ach! Ach!
So gräm' ich mich todt.
Wie foltert mich Sehnsucht,
Wie klopft mir das Herz,
Ein Kuß nur besänftigt
Den quälenden Schmerz.
Und färbet dein Mund sich
Für Andere roth:
Ach! Ach!
So gräm' ich mich todt.
Sich küssen sei Sünde,
Sagt Mütterchen zwar;
Doch glaube mir, Liebchen!
Sie redet nicht wahr.
Befolgest du dennoch
Der Mutter [Verbot]1:
Ach! Ach!
So gräm' ich mich todt.
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
• K. Reissiger About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)
Confirmed with Wilhlem Gerhard, Gedichte, Leipzig: Verlag von Joh. Ambr. Barth., 1826, page 40
1 Reissiger: "Gebot"
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Carl Gottlieb Erfurt (1807 - 1856), "Kuß oder Tod", c1829 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Heinrich August Marschner (1795 - 1861), "Kuß oder Tod", op. 54 no. 3 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Lieder von Wilhelm Gerhard, no. 3, Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karl Gottlieb Reissiger (1798 - 1859), "Kuß oder Tod", op. 69 no. 4, published 1831 [ voice and piano ], from 6 heitere Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung , no. 4, Dresden, Paul [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Eduard Tauwitz (1812 - 1894), "O sei nicht so spröde ", published 1837 [ vocal quartet for male voices ], from Sechs Lieder für 4 Männerstimmen, no. 2, Breslau, Leuckart [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Kiss or death", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs
[Guest Editor] , Andrew Schneider
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2007-12-12
Line count: 24
Word count: 94
Kiss or death
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Oh, do not be so aloof,
You lovely child!
Come, lean upon my breast,
And kiss me quickly!
If you spurn the lips
That love offered you:
Alas! Alas!
Then I shall die of a broken heart.
How I am tortured by yearning,
How my heart pounds,
Only a kiss would quieten
The torturing pain.
And if your lips should grow
Red for others:
Alas! Alas!
Then I shall die of a broken heart.
To be sure, to kiss each other is a sin,
Your dear mother says;
But believe me, darling!
She does not speak the truth.
If in spite of that
You [take heed of her forbiddance]1
Alas! Alas!
Then I shall die of a broken heart.
View original text (without footnotes)
1 Reissiger: "obey her command"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2018 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:
This text was added to the website: 2018-01-03
Line count: 24
Word count: 121