by Charles Benjamin Incledon (1763 - 1826)
Translation Singable translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Contemplation
Language: English 
Choose for Diff
The gloom of night my mind oppress'd,
while darkness veil'd my reason,
an nature's works, in beauty dress'd,
unheeded past each season.
Thus monarch oak or simple flow'r
I thoughtless view'd each passing hour.

But when my heart thy hand confess'd
in each revolving season,
the simples flow'r, by nature dress'd,
spoke volumes to my reason,
for in his works I trace the pow'r
of nature's God each happy hour.

Text Authorship:

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

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:


Researcher for this page: Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2026-07-31
Line count: 12
Word count: 70

Naturbetrachtung
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
Als Dunkel meinen Geist umhüllt,
als Nacht im Busen grauste,
war mir Natur ein farblos Bild,
ob Wog', ob Wetter brauste,
ob Eiche prangt, ob Blume fleht -
mir sprach nicht Duft, nicht Majestät.

Doch fühlt' ich bald in dir, Natur,
der Gottheit Pulse schlagen;
da klang zu mir aus bunter Flur
ein Singen und ein Sagen.
Mir nennt dann Gottes Lieb' und Macht
der Staub so wie des Himmels Pracht.

Text Authorship:

Based on:

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


Researcher for this page: Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2026-07-31
Line count: 12
Word count: 70