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Laue Lüfte, Blumendüfte, Alle Lenz- und Jugendlust; Frischer Lippen Küsse nippen, Sanft gewiegt an zarter Brust; Dann der Trauben Nektar rauben; Reihentanz und Spiel und Scherz: Was die Sinnen Nur gewinnen: Ach! erfüllt es je das Herz? Wenn die feuchten Augen leuchten Von der Wehmuth lindem Thau, Dann entsiegelt, Drin gespiegelt, Sich dem Blick die Himmels-Au. Wie erquicklich Augenblicklich Löscht es jede wilde Glut! Wie vom Regen Blumen pflegen, Hebet sich der matte Muth. Nicht mit süßen Wasserflüssen Zwang Prometheus unsern Leim: Nein, mit Thränen; Drum im Sehnen Und im Schmerz sind wir daheim. Bitter schwellen Diese Quellen Für den [Erd' umfangnen]1 Sinn, Doch sie drängen Aus den Engen In das Meer der Liebe hin. Ew'ges Sehnen Floß in Thränen, Und umgab die starre Welt, Die in Armen Sein Erbarmen Immerdar umflutend hält. Soll dein Wesen Denn genesen, Von dem Erdenstaube los, Mußt im Weinen Dich vereinen Jener Wasser heil'gem Schooß.
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View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with August Wilhelm Schlegels poetische Werke. Erster Theil. Heidelberg bey Mohr und Zimmer 1811, pages 242-244; and with A. W. Schlegel's poetische Werke. Zweyter Theil. Neueste Auflage. Wien 1816. Bey B. Ph. Bauer, pages 14-16.
First published in Prometheus. Eine Zeitschrift. Herausgegeben von Leo v. Seckendorf und Jos. Lud. Stoll. Zweytes Heft. Wien, in Geistinger's Buchhandlung. 1808, pages 70-71, with the title Lied.
1 Schlegel (1816 edition), and Schubert: "erdumfangnen"Text Authorship:
- by August Wilhelm Schlegel (1767 - 1845), "Lob der Thränen", written 1807, first published 1808 [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), "Lob der Tränen", op. 13 (Drei Lieder) no. 2, D 711 (1818?), published 1822 [ voice, piano ], Cappi und Diabelli, VN 1162, Wien [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Lof der tranen", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "In praise of tears", copyright © 2015
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Éloge des larmes", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 48
Word count: 151
Mild breezes, The scent of flowers, All the joy of spring and youth, Fresh lips, Swift kisses, Being gently cradled at a tender bosom; Then the grape's nectar is stolen, Round dances and games and jokes: Whatever the senses can gather: Ah, will it ever fulfill the heart? When wet eyes gleam from the gentle dew of melancholy, then unsealed, and therein mirrored, is a glimpse of Heaven's field. How joyfully, in an instant, is extinguished every wild passion; just as from the rain flowers are nurtured, so are dull spirits lifted. Not with sweet river water did Prometheus form our clay. No, with tears; That is why in longing and in pain we are at home. Bitterly do These streams rise (to our earthly senses), but they press out of the narrows into the sea of love. [God's] eternal longing flowed in tears and surrounded the numb world, which, held in His arms, His mercy Forever encompasses. If your being is ever then to be freed from the dust of Earth, You must in weeping unite yourself with the waters of the divine womb.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2015 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 -- https://www.lieder.net/For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by August Wilhelm Schlegel (1767 - 1845), "Lob der Thränen", written 1807, first published 1808
This text was added to the website: 2015-09-29
Line count: 48
Word count: 185