Confession | Say, why are you burning my lips

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by (Borromäus Sebastian Georg) Karl Reginald Herloß (1804 - 1849)

Translation © by Jeffrey Williams

Geständniß

Language: German (Deutsch)

Available translation(s): ENG

Sagt! Was brennt ihr meine Lippen,
Sagt was glüht das Blut in euch?
War's doch nur ein einzig's Nippen,
Und ihr werdet roth und bleich!

Augen! Wie ist's euch ergangen,
Warum seid ihr Thränen schwer?
Und was röthet euch ihr Wangen,
Ach! Ich kenne euch nicht mehr,

Herz mein Herz geh' nicht so schnelle,
Sprenge nicht die schwache Brust,
Treibe deine trunk'ne Welle
Leis, nur leis, in sanfter Lust.

Euch ihr holden Nachtigallen
Die ihr aus den Erlen tönt
Euch ihr Himmelssterne alle
Die ihr diese Nacht verschönt.

Euch ihr Lüfte, euch ihr Blüthen
Will ich sagen was es ist;
Doch ihr mögt es streng behüten
Sie, ja Sie hat mich geküsst!

Authorship:

by (Borromäus Sebastian Georg) Karl Reginald Herloß (1804 - 1849) [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 Heinrich August Marschner (1795 - 1861), "Geständniß", op. 51 no. 1 (1829), published 1829 [ bass or baritone and piano ], Braunschweig, G. M. Meyer [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Jeffrey Williams) , "Confession", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Jeffrey Williams [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2021-02-15
Line count: 20
Word count: 112

Confession

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Say, why are you burning my lips,
Why does the blood in you glow?
It was just a sip,
And you turn red and pale?

Eyes, How have you been,
Why are you heavy with tears?
And what blushes you cheeks,
Oh, I do not know you anymore,

Heart my heart do not go so fast,
Do not blow up the weak chest,
Drive your drunken wave
only softly in gentle desire.

To you, you lovely nightingales,
You who sound from the alders,
To you, all of you golden stars,
You who beautify this night.

To you the airs, to you the blossoms
I will tell you what it is;
But you have to guard my secret
She, yes she kissed me!

Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2021 by Jeffrey Williams, (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.
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by (Borromäus Sebastian Georg) Karl Reginald Herloß (1804 - 1849)

This text was added to the website: 2021-02-16
Line count: 20
Word count: 122