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Akme, seine Geliebte, auf dem Schoose Haltend, sagte Septimius: "Meine Akme! Übermäßig hab' ich dich lieb und will auch Jahr für Jahr dich beständig also lieben, So arg wie nur ein Mensch jemals im Stand ist; Sieh, sonst mag mir's geschehn, daß ich, ganz einsam, Sey's in Libyen, sey's im heißen Inder- Land, dem tödtlichen Blick des Leu'n begegne!" Wie er Dieses gesagt, nies't Amor, herzlich Es bekräftigend (sonst war er ihm abhold). Akme, rückwärts ihr Köpfchen leicht gebogen, Und die trunkenen Augen ihres süßen Knaben küssend mit jenem Purpurmunde, Sprach: "Mein Leben! o goldenes Septimchen! Künftig dienen wir diesem Herrn alleine, Ich, wie du, -- so gewiß als mir noch weit ein Heißer Feuer im zarten Marke glühet!" Wie sie Dieses gesagt, nies't Amor, herzlich Es bekräftigend (sonst war er ihr abholb). Auf so günstige Zeichen nunmehr bauend Tauschen Beide von Herzen Lieb' um Liebe. Nur in Akme allein noch lebt Septimius, Die ihm theurer als Syrien und Britannien, Nur Septimius widmet Akme treulich All ihr Süßes und alle Liebeswonnen. Kein glückseliger Paar hat man gesehen, Reine Liebe, so schön vom Gott besiegelt!
Confirmed with Gedichte von Eduard Mörike, Zweite, vermehrte Auflage, Stuttgart und Tübingen: J.G. Cotta'scher Verlag, 1848, pages 132-133.
Note: in many older editions, the spelling of the capitalized word "über" becomes "Ueber", but this is often due to the printing process and not to rules of orthography, since the lower-case version is not "ueber", so we use "Über".
Note: Engelsberg's (Eduard Schön's) song begins "Meine Akme! Übermäßig hab' ich dich lieb und will auch"
Text Authorship:
- by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875), "Akme und Septimius", subtitle: "Nach Catull." [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Latin by Gaius Valerius Catullus (c84 BCE - 54 BCE), no title, appears in Carmina, no. 45
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Eduard Schön (1825 - 1879), "Akme und Septimius", published 1882 [ men's chorus and piano ], from Chöre und Quartette für Männerstimmen, no. 1, Hamburg: Cranz [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Akme and Septimius", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2021-03-17
Line count: 27
Word count: 183
Holding Akme, his beloved, upon his lap Septimius said: "My Akme! I love you inordinately and shall as well Love you thus enduringly year after year -- As ardently as only a human is ever able to so do; For see, otherwise it might happen to me that I, quite solitary, Be it in Libya, be it in the hot land of India, might encounter the deadly gaze of a lion!" When he had spoken this, Amor sneezed, heartily Affirming it (otherwise he was averse to him). Akme, her little head gently inclined backwards, And kissing the intoxicated eyes of her sweet lad With those crimson lips, Spoke: "My life! oh, golden Septimiuslet! From now on we shall serve this god alone, I, as you, -- so assuredly as that in my delicate marrow There flames an even hotter fire!" When she had spoken this, Amor sneezed, heartily Affirming it (otherwise he was averse to her). From this time on, building upon such good omens, The two sincerely exchange love upon love. Septimius now lives in Akme alone, Who was more precious to him than Syria and Britian, Only to Septimius does Akme faithfully dedicate All her sweetness and all the delights of her love. No happier couple was ever seen, Pure love, so beautifully sealed by the god!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2021 by Sharon Krebs, (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 Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875), "Akme und Septimius", subtitle: "Nach Catull."
Based on:
- a text in Latin by Gaius Valerius Catullus (c84 BCE - 54 BCE), no title, appears in Carmina, no. 45
This text was added to the website: 2021-03-17
Line count: 27
Word count: 217