Why after all do songs

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by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

Translation © by Grant Hicks

Warum doch erschallen

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG ENG FRE

Warum doch erschallen
himmelwärts die Lieder?
Zögen gerne nieder
Sterne, die droben
Blinken und wallen,
Zögen sich Lunas
Lieblich Umarmen,
Zögen die warmen,
Wonnigen Tage
Seliger Götter
Gern uns herab!

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), appears in Was wir bringen [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), "Warum?", op. 92 (Vier Quartette) no. 4 (<<1884), published 1884 [ satb chorus and piano ], Berlin, Simrock [sung text checked 1 time]
by Johann Friedrich Reichardt (1752 - 1814), "Aus dem Vorspiel: Was wir bringen", published 1802 [ vocal trio of female voices and piano or harp ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Why then do songs resound heavenwards?", copyright ©
ENG English (Grant Hicks) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Pourquoi", copyright © 2011, (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: 11
Word count: 30

Why after all do songs

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Why after all do songs
Ring out towards the sky?
They would gladly draw down
The stars that overhead 
Sparkle and swirl,
They would draw Luna's
Sweet embrace,
They would draw the warm
Blissful days
Of the blessed gods
Gladly down to us!

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of titles:
"Aus dem Vorspiel: Was wir bringen" = "From the prelude:: what we bring"
"Warum?" = "Why?"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2026 by Grant Hicks, (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 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), appears in Was wir bringen
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-02-22
Line count: 11
Word count: 43