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Nur wer die Liebe kennt, versteht das Sehnen, An dem Geliebten ewig fest zu hangen, Und Lebensmuth aus seinem Aug' zu trinken; Er kennt das schmerzlich selige Verlangen, Dahin zu schmelzen in ein Meer von Thränen, Und aufgelöst in Liebe zu versinken! - Wie mir die Bilder winken, Die alten! - Ach, sie nahen, um zu fliehen! - Was hilft das Thal mit seinen grünen Gluthen, Die Strahlen, die so golden niederfluthen, Ich seh' nur Geister mich zum Abgrund ziehen! - Wozu soll ich die goldnen Blüthen pflücken, Kann ich doch nimmer das Geliebte schmücken.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Die Harfe. Herausgegeben von Friedrich Kind. Zweites Bändchen. Leipzig bei Georg Joachim Göschen 1815, page 362. Beneath the poem: "Am 9. August 1806."
Authorship:
- by Friedrich Ludwig Zacharias Werner (1768 - 1823), "Impromptu", subtitle: "in Tharand's Ruinen geschrieben", written 1806, first published 1815 [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 Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Nur wer die Liebe kennt, versteht das Sehnen", D 513A (1817?), published 1974 [ voice, piano ], incomplete sketch, breaks off after line 6; edited by Reinhard van Hoorickx [sung text checked 1 time]
Another version of this text exists in the database.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Impromptu", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , subtitle: "Written in the ruins of Tharandt", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2017-08-10
Line count: 13
Word count: 95
Seul celui qui connaît l'amour comprend le désir De s'accrocher fermement à l'aimée pour l'éternité, Et de boire de ses yeux le courage pour la vie ; Il connaît le désir douloureux et béni De se fondre dans une mer de larmes, Et de sombrer et de se dissoudre dans l'amour ! - Comme ces images me font signe, Ces vieilles images ! - Ah, elles approchent pour s'enfuir ! - De quelle aide est la vallée avec ses éclats verts, Les rayons qui coulent vers le bas pleins d'or, Je vois seulement les esprits me tirant vers l'abîme ! - Pourquoi devrais-je cueillir ces fleurs dorées Si je ne peux jamais en orner ma bien-aimée.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translation of words under the poem: Le 9 août 1806
Translation of title "Impromptu" = "Impromptu"Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2019 by Guy Laffaille, (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:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Ludwig Zacharias Werner (1768 - 1823), "Impromptu", subtitle: "in Tharand's Ruinen geschrieben", written 1806, first published 1815
This text was added to the website: 2019-01-29
Line count: 13
Word count: 116