by Johann Gabriel Seidl (1804 - 1875)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Sehnsucht
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Available translation(s): CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA
Die Scheibe friert, der Wind ist rauh,
Der nächt'ge Himmel rein und blau:
Ich sitz' in meinem Kämmerlein
Und schau in's reine Blau hinein!

Mir fehlt etwas, das [fühl']1 ich gut,
Mir fehlt mein Lieb, das treue Blut:
Und will ich in die Sterne sehn,
[Muß stets das Aug mir]2 übergehn!

Mein Lieb, wo weilst du nur so fern,
Mein schöner Stern, mein Augenstern?!
Du weißt, dich lieb' und brauch' ich ja, -
Die Thräne tritt mir wieder nah.

Da quält' ich mich so manchen Tag,
Weil mir kein Lied gelingen mag, -
Weil's nimmer sich erzwingen läßt
[Und]3 frei hinsäuselt, wie der West!

Wie mild mich's wieder grad durchglüht! -
Sieh nur - das ist ja schon ein Lied!
[Wenn mich mein Loos vom Liebchen warf,
Dann fühl' ich, daß ich singen darf.]4

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Joh. Gabr. Seidl's Dichtungen. Zweiter Theil. Lieder der Nacht. [...] Von Johann Gabriel Seidl. Wien. Druck und Verlag von J. P. Sollinger. 1826, page 31; and with Lieder der Nacht. Von Johann Gabriel Seidl. Zweite, verbesserte und vermehrte Auflage. Wien, 1851. Druck und Verlag von J. P. Sollinger's Witwe, pages 108-109.

1 Seidl (1851 edition): "merk'"
2 Seidl (1851 edition): "Fühl' ich die Augen"
3 Seidl (1851 edition): "Weil's"
1 Seidl (1851 edition): "Muß ich, mein Lieb, dir ferne sein, / Gleich stellt das Lied von selbst sich ein."

Authorship:

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

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Nostàlgia", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Hunkering", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Longing", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Nostalgie", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Desiderio ardente", copyright © 2010, (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 between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 134

Longing
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
 The window-pane freezes, the wind is rough,
 the night sky is clear and blue.
 I sit in my little room
 and gaze into clear blue.

 Something is lacking, I feel all too well;
 I miss my love, my true life's blood,
 and if I gaze at the stars
 my eyes must overflow with tears.

 My love, where do you tarry so far away,
 my beautiful star, delight of my eyes?
 You know that I love and need you;
 again tears threaten.

 I have suffered for so many days
 and for me no song will come,
 because one cannot force a song
 to murmur forth freely like the west wind.

 How softly does this glow suffuse me now!
 Look - it is a song already!
 Even though my lot was to be cast far from my love,
 I feel now that I can still sing.

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 -- https://www.lieder.net/

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.


Based on:

 

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 145