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It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Die Liebste steht mir vor den Gedanken,...
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG FRE
Die Liebste steht mir vor den Gedanken, wie schön, o wie schön!
Daß mir betäubt die Sinne wanken, wie schön, [o]1 wie schön!
Sie hat mit Mienen mich angelächelt, wie hold, o wie hold,
Daß durch das Herz mir die Strahlen schwanken, wie schön, [o]1 wie schön!
Die hellen Fluren der Rosenwange, sie winken zur Lust,
Und dunkel flattern die Lockenranken, wie schön, o wie schön!
Des [Aug's]2 Narzissen, wie lieblich, [wann]3 sie erwachen im Tau,
Und wann sie trunken in Schlummer sanken, wie schön, o wie schön!
Die Palm' aus Eden, die ich in Träumen wie lange gesucht,
Hab' ich gefunden im Wuchs, dem schlanken, wie schön, o wie schön!
Der Quell des Lebens, dem ich [gedurstet]4, er hat mich gelabt,
Als meine Lippen aus deinen tranken, wie schön, [o]1 wie schön!
Des Geistes Hoffen, der Seele Wähnen, dein Traum, Phantasie,
Ist [hier]5 getreten in Körperschranken, wie schön, [o]1 wie schön!
Des Frühlings Blumen, des Himmels Sterne, du bringst sie im Kranz
Mir dar vereinigt, wie soll ich danken? Wie schön, o wie schön!
Die höchste Schönheit halt' ich in deiner gedrückt an mein Herz;
Es muß erliegen, es muß erkranken, wie schön, o wie schön! 
Du stirbst, o Freimund, und dich zu Grabe zu tragen, o sieh',
Wie sich die Rosen mit Lilien zanken, wie schön, o wie schön!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   R. Strauss 

R. Strauss sets lines 1-16

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
1 omitted by Strauss.
2 Strauss: "Auges"
3 Strauss: "wenn"
4 Strauss: "gedürstet"
5 Strauss: "nun"

Text Authorship:

  • by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866), no title, appears in Lyrische Gedichte, in 3. Liebesfrühling, in 3. Dritter Strauß. Entfremdet [or Gemieden], no. 61 [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 Richard Georg Strauss (1864 - 1949), "Anbetung", op. 36 (Vier Lieder für 1 hohe Stimme -- für 1 tiefe Stimme mit Pianoforte) no. 4, published 1898, lines 1-16 [ voice and piano ], München, Aibl Verlag [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Adoració", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Adoration", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 230

Adoration
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
My dearest stands before me in my thoughts, how pretty, oh how fair!
so that my senses are dazed, unhinged; how pretty, how fair!
She smiled at me with her face so lovely, o so lovely,
so that those radiant beams vibrated through my heart, how pretty, how fair!
The brightness of her rosy cheeks beckons me to take pleasure,
and her wavy tresses stream down darkly, how pretty, o how fair!
How lovely are her narcissus-eyes when they awaken in dew,
and when they droop intoxicated into slumber, how pretty, how fair, oh how fair!
The palm-trees from Eden, that in dreams I have long sought for,
I have found in her slender figure, oh how fair!
The source of life, for which I thirsted, refreshed me
when my lips drank from yours, how pretty, how fair!
The hopes of my spirit, the fancies of my soul, your dream, Fantasy,
is now walking about in corporeal form, how pretty, how fair!
The flowers of Spring, the stars of the sky - you bring them in a wreath
you have made for me. How can I thank you? How fair, how pretty, oh how fair!




Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust

    Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:

    Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
    from the LiederNet Archive

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
    licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866), no title, appears in Lyrische Gedichte, in 3. Liebesfrühling, in 3. Dritter Strauß. Entfremdet [or Gemieden], no. 61
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 194

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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