by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)
Translation Singable translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Die Muttergottes zu Kevlaar
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Available translation(s): ENG FRE
Die Muttergottes zu Kevlaar
Trägt heut ihr bestes Kleid;
Heut hat sie viel zu schaffen,
Es kommen viel kranke Leut'.

Die kranken Leute bringen
Ihr dar, als Opferspend',
Aus Wachs gebildete Glieder,
Viel wächserne Füß' und Händ'.

Und wer eine Wachshand opfert,
Dem heilt an der Hand die Wund';
Und wer einen Wachsfuß opfert,
Dem wird der Fuß gesund.

Nach Kevlaar ging mancher auf Krücken,
Der jetzo tanzt auf dem Seil,
Gar mancher spielt jetzt die Bratsche,
Dem dort kein Finger war heil.

Die Mutter nahm ein Wachslicht,
Und bildete draus ein Herz.
"Bring das der Muttergottes,
Dann heilt sie deinen Schmerz."

Der Sohn nahm seufzend das Wachsherz,
Ging seufzend zum Heiligenbild;
Die Träne quillt aus dem Auge,
Das Wort aus dem Herzen quillt:

"Du Hochgebenedeite,
Du reine Gottesmagd,
Du Königin des Himmels,
Dir sei mein Leid geklagt!

Ich wohnte mit meiner Mutter
Zu Köllen in der Stadt,
Der Stadt, die viele hundert
Kapellen und Kirchen hat.

Und neben uns wohnte Gretchen,
Doch die ist tot jetzund -
Marie, dir bring ich ein Wachsherz,
Heil du meine Herzenswund'.

Heil du mein krankes Herze -
Ich will auch spät und früh
Inbrünstiglich beten und singen:
'Gelobt seist du, Marie!'"

A. Kern sets stanzas 7-10

About the headline (FAQ)

Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):


The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:

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

  • ENG English (Leon Malinofsky) , "A Pilgrimage to Kevlaar", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English [singable] (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist)
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2007-10-14
Line count: 40
Word count: 198

The Virgin‑Mother at Kevlaar
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
The Virgin-Mother at Kevlaar
Her best apparel wears;
Many are come to pray her
To cure all their ills and cares.

The sick with them are bringing
Full many off’rings meet,
Strange limbs with wax all fashioned,
Yea, waxen hands and feet.

And he who a wax hand offers
Finds heal’d in his hand the wound,
And he who a wax foot offers,
Straight finds his foot grow sound.

To Kevlaar went many on crutches,
Who now can run to the goal,
And many play on the viol,
Who had not a finger whole.

The mother took a wax-light,
And out of it formed a heart.
“Take that to the Virgin-Mother,
Then will she heal thy heart.”

He took with sighing the wax-heart,
With sighs to the shrine he prest;
The tears well’d forth from his eyelids,
The words well’d forth from his breast:

“Thou Virgin, highly favoured!
Thou free from earthly stain!
Thou mighty Queen of Heaven,
To thee I tell my pain.

My mother and I were dwelling
At Köln, the town by the Rhine,
With many hundred churches
And many a holy shrine.

And hard by us dwelt my Gretchen,
But she is dead today. –
O Queen, I bring thee a wax-heart,
Heal thou my sad heart, I pray,

Heal thou my aching heart-wound,
And morn and night I vow
To pray and sing without ceasing,
O Mary, Blest be thou!”

About the headline (FAQ)

From the Stanford score.


Authorship:

  • Singable translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Based on:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

    [ None yet in the database ]


Researcher for this text: Christopher Howell

This text was added to the website: 2020-10-11
Line count: 40
Word count: 235