by Johann Gottfried Herder (1744 - 1803)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Ach, könnt' ich, könnte vergessen Sie!
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the French (Français) 
Available translation(s): CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA SPA
Ach, [könnt' ich, könnte]1 vergessen Sie!
  Ihr [schönes, liebes, liebliches]2 Wesen,
Den Blick, die freundliche Lippe, die!
  Vielleicht ich möchte genesen!
Doch ach! mein Herz, mein Herz kann es nie!
Und doch ist's Wahnsinn, zu hoffen Sie!
    [Und um sie schweben, 
    Gibt Muth und Leben,
    Zu weichen nie! --]3
Und [denn]4, wie kann ich vergessen Sie,
  Ihr [schönes, liebes, liebliches]2 Wesen,
Den Blick, die freundliche Lippe, die!
  Viel lieber nimmer genesen!

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Johann Gottfried v. Herders Sämmtliche Werke, Zur schönen Literatur und Kunst, Dritter Band, Stuttgart und Tübingen, J. G. Cotta'scher Verlag, 1852, pages 193-194.

1 D'Alquen: "könnt' ich, könnt' ich"; Raif: "könnte, könnt' ich"
2 Raif: "schönes, liebliches"
3 omitted by Raif
4 D'Alquen: "doch"; Hensel, Raif: dann"

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):

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) , "Een sonnet", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Oh, could I only forget her", copyright ©
  • ENG English [singable] (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist) , "A sonnet"
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Sonnet", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Un sonetto", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Alfonso Sebastián) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-09
Line count: 13
Word count: 71

Oh, could I only forget her
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Oh, could I only forget her,
Her fair, lovely, charming nature,
Her glance, her friendly lips!
Perhaps then I might be well!
But oh, my heart, my heart can never do so!
And yet it is madness to hope for her!
Yet to hover near her,
Gives me Life and Courage
Never to weaken.
And how then can I forget her,
her fair, lovely, charming nature,
Her glance, her friendly lips!
Much rather would I never be well again!

Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust

    Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:

    Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
    from the LiederNet Archive -- https://www.lieder.net/

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.


Based on:

Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-09
Line count: 13
Word count: 79