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War es dir, dem diese Lippen bebten, Dir der dargebotne süße Kuß? Gibt ein irdisch Leben so Genuß? Ha! wie Licht und Glanz vor meinen Augen schwebten, Alle Sinne nach den Lippen strebten! In den klaren Augen blickte Sehnsucht, die mir zärtlich winkte, Alles klang im Herzen wieder, Meine Blicke sanken nieder, Und die Lüfte tönten Liebeslieder! Wie ein Sternenpaar Glänzten die Augen, die Wangen Wiegten das goldene Haar, Blick und Lächeln schwangen Flügel, und die süßen Worte gar Weckten das tiefste Verlangen; O Kuß, wie war dein Mund so brennend rot! Da starb ich, fand ein Leben erst im schönsten Tod.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Johann Ludwig Tieck (1773 - 1853), no title, appears in Liebesgeschichte der schönen Magelone und des Grafen Peter von Provence, no. 8, chapter heading: "Wie Peter die schöne Magelone besuchte" [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 Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "War es dir, dem diese Lippen bebten", op. 33 no. 7 (1861-65), published 1865 [ voice and piano ], from Die schöne Magelone. Romanzen aus L. Tiecks Magelone, no. 7, Winterthur, Rieter-Biedermann
Score: IMSLP [external link] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Era per a tu que aquests llavis tremolaven", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Was 't voor jou dat deze lippen beefden?", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Was it you for whom these lips trembled", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Fu per te, che queste labbra", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) (Giedrius Prunskus) , "Ar tai tau žėravo šitos lūpos", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- TUR Turkish (Türkçe) (Gül Sabar) , copyright © 2016, (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: 18
Word count: 102
Was it you for whom these lips trembled, For you, that sweet, offered kiss? Can an earthly life be so enjoyable? Ha! how the light and radiance danced before my eyes, All my senses aspired to those lips! From those clear eyes shone a yearning which tenderly beckoned me; All echoed again in my heart My gaze sank low And the breezes whispered love songs. Like a pair of stars Gleamed your eyes, your cheeks Cradled by golden hair; Your gazes and smiles took wing, and your sweet words awoke a deep longing: O Kiss, how burning red your mouth was! I died, and first found life in fairest death.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust, (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.
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Ludwig Tieck (1773 - 1853), no title, appears in Liebesgeschichte der schönen Magelone und des Grafen Peter von Provence, no. 8, chapter heading: "Wie Peter die schöne Magelone besuchte"
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 110