by Johann Georg Seegemund (1794 - 1877), as Gottwalt
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Das stille Lied
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG FRE
Schweige nur,
Süßer Mund der heil'gen Liebe.
Stille weben die Getriebe
Der Natur
In der Erde Schooß, und stille
Hält der Himmel seine Fülle,
Still ist alles Lebens Spur,
Liebe lebt nur in der Hülle,
Schweige nur.

Athme nur,
Blumen athmen [und so sprühen
Süße Düfte, Farben glühen]1
Durch die Flur,
Sterne athmen Licht und ziehen
[Alles athmend]2 an im Fliehen,
Nur ein Hauch wiegt die Natur,
Engel athmen Melodieen,
Athme nur.

Blühe nur!
Sieh in eine sel'ge Blüthe
Hüllt sich ein die ganze Güte
Der Natur,
Und ihr himmlisches Gemüthe
Füllt allein dies Weltgebiete:
Liebe, zeige mir die Spur.
Schweige, athme, sel'ge Blüthe,
Blühe nur.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   F. Schubert 

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Frauentaschenbuch für das Jahr 1817 von de la Motte Fouqué. Nürnberg, bei Joh. Leonh. Schrag, pages 116-117.

1 Schubert: "Farben glühen, / Und so sprühen süße Düfte"
2 Schubert: "Athmend alles"

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):

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "La cançó silenciosa", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The silent song", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le chant silencieux", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2017-10-10
Line count: 27
Word count: 106

The silent song
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Only fall silent,
Sweet lips of holy love.
Silently the gears of nature
Weave
In the womb of the earth, and silently
Heaven holds its plenitude.
Silent is the trace of all life,
Love lives only in the shell,
Only fall silent.

Only breathe,
Flowers breathe [and thus sweet scents 
Are sent forth, colours glow]1
Through the lea,
Stars breathe forth light and travel,
Breathing upon everything in their flight,
Nature is lulled by only a breeze,
Angels breathe melodies.
Only breathe.

Only bloom!
Lo, in a blessed blossom
The entire goodness of nature
Shrouds itself,
And its heavenly spirit
Alone fills this earthly realm:
Love, show me the track.
Fall silent, breathe, blessed blossom,
Only bloom.

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Schubert: "colours glow, / And thus sweet scents are sent forth"
Note: the change in the second footnote does not affect the translation.

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.
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Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2018-06-27
Line count: 27
Word count: 117