Ocean lights | How many sunbeams have fallen heavy as gold

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by Carl Siebel (1836 - 1868)

Translation © by Maggie Evans

Meeresleuchten

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT ENG FRE

Wieviel Sonnenstrahlen fielen goldenschwer, 
fielen feurig glühend in des ew'ge Meer! 
Und die Woge sog sie tief in sich hinab, 
und die Woge ward ihr wild lebendig Grab. 
Nur in stiller Nächte heilger Feierstund' 
sprühen diese Strahlen aus des Meeres Grund. 
Leuchtend roll'n die Wogen durch die dunkle Nacht 
wunderbar durchglüht sie funkensprüh'nde Pracht.

Text Authorship:

by Carl Siebel (1836 - 1868) [author's text not yet checked 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 Carl Loewe (1796 - 1869), "Meeresleuchten", op. 145 no. 1 (1859?), from Liederkranz für die Bassstimme, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Llumeneres del mar", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Maggie Evans) , "Ocean lights", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Lumière de la mer", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Anne Evans

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 54

Ocean lights

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

How many sunbeams have fallen heavy as gold
Fallen glowing like fire into the eternal sea!
And the waves have sucked them into the depths
And the waves have become their wildly living tomb
Only in the holy twilight hour of quiet nights
These rays sparkle up from the sea's depths.
The waves roll glowing through the dark night;
Marvellously the gleaming beauty glows through them

Note from translator: the lights are the phosphorescent lights that come off the algae on the sea surface.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Maggie Evans, (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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Carl Siebel (1836 - 1868)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 66