I am to sing you songs... | I am to sing you songs

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by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Ich soll dir Lieder singen

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE

Ich soll dir Lieder singen -
Ich weiß keine Lieder mehr!
Ich möchte mit dir ringen
Und dich zwingen, du Wilde; komm her!

Komm her und höre drinnen
Das Lied in meiner Brust,
Daß du mit allen Sinnen
Mich lieben und mein sein mußt.

Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada and the U.S., 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 458.

Text Authorship:

by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Ich soll dir Lieder singen...", written 1899 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Rudolph Ganz (1877 - 1972), "Ich soll dir Lieder singen", op. 17 (Lieder und Gesänge) no. 2, published 1908 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "T’hauria de cantar cançons ", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "I am to sing you songs...", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Il me faut te chanter une chanson", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2007-07-06
Line count: 8
Word count: 43

I am to sing you songs...

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

I am to sing you songs -
I know no more songs!
I would like to grapple with you
And vanquish you, you wild one; come here!

Come here and hear the song
Within my breast,
So that you with all your senses
Must love me and be mine.

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:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962), "Ich soll dir Lieder singen...", written 1899
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2018-10-08
Line count: 8
Word count: 48