Aus des Meeres tiefem, tiefem Grunde
Klingen Abendglocken, dumpf und matt,
Uns zu geben wunderbare Kunde
Von der schönen alten Wunderstadt.

In der Fluten [Schoos]1 hinabgesunken,
Blieben [unten ihre Trümmer]2 stehn.
Ihre Zinnen lassen goldne Funken
[Widerscheinend]3 auf dem Spiegel sehn.

Und der Schiffer, der den Zauberschimmer
Einmal sah im hellen Abendroth,
Nach derselben Stelle schifft er immer,
Ob auch rings umher die Klippe droht.

Aus des Herzens tiefem, tiefem Grunde
Klingt es mir wie Glocken, dumpf und matt;
Ach, sie geben wunderbare Kunde
Von der Liebe, die geliebt es hat.

Eine schöne Welt ist da versunken,
Ihre Trümmer blieben unten stehn,
Lassen sich als goldne Himmelsfunken
Oft im Spiegel meiner Träume sehn.

Und dann möcht' ich tauchen in die Tiefen,
Mich versenken in den [Widerschein]4,
Und mir ist, als ob mich Engel riefen
In die alte Wunderstadt herein.

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Gedichte von Wilhelm Müller, Leipzig: F.A. Brockhaus, 1850, page 171.

Note: Vineta is the name of a legendary sunken city located somewhere between Pommerania and Rügen.

¹ Brahms: "Schoß"; Merxhausen (Decker): "Schooss"
² Merxhausen (Decker): "ihre Trümmer unten"
³ Merxhausen (Decker): "Wiederscheinend"
⁴ Brahms: "Wunderschein"; Merxhausen (Decker): "Wiederschein"

Text Authorship:

• by Wilhelm Müller (1794 - 1827), "Vineta", appears in Lyrische Reisen und epigrammatische Spaziergänge, in Muscheln von der Insel Rügen [author's text checked 2 times 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 Hugo Berger , "Vineta", op. 5 (Drei Lieder) no. 1, published 1889 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Vineta", op. 42 (Drei Gesänge) no. 2 (1860), published 1872 [ saatbb chorus ], Bremen, Cranz [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Pauline von Decker (1811 - 1882), as Paul Friedrich Merxhausen, "Vineta", op. 4, published 1875? [ low voice and piano ], Magdeburg: Heinrichshofen's Verlag [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Robert Emmerich (1836 - 1891), "Vineta", op. 49, published 1880 [ medium voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
• by Carl Wilhelm Fliegel , "Vineta", op. 7 (Acht Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1854 [ bass and piano ], Berlin, Bahn [sung text not yet checked]
• by Frederic R. Fontein-Tuinhout (1854 - 1909), "Vineta", op. 1, published 1901 [ low voice and piano ], from Zwei Lieder des Schmerzens für 1 tiefe Singstimme mit Pianoforte , no. 1, Haag, van Eck [sung text not yet checked]
• by Eduard Kreuzhage (1874 - 1956), "Vineta", op. 6 (Drei Lieder und Gesänge für 1 hohe Stimme mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1876 [ high voice and piano ], Köln, Schloss [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ludwig Siegfried Meinardus (1827 - 1896), "Vineta", op. 11 (Romanzen und Balladen. Heft 3) no. 3, published 1853 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Edwin Schultz (1827 - 1907), "Vineta", op. 230, published 1900 [ men's chorus ], Berlin, Bote & Bock [sung text not yet checked]
• by Ludolf Waldmann (1840 - 1919), "Vineta", op. 39, published 1884 [ voice and piano ], Breslau, Waldmann [sung text not yet checked]
• by (Friedrich) Oskar Wermann (1840 - 1906), "Vineta", op. 39 (Drei Gesänge für Bariton (oder Mezzo-Soprano) -- für Tenor (oder Sopran) mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1885 [ voice and piano ], Dresden, Näumann [sung text not yet checked]

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Vineta", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Vineta", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Vineta", copyright © 2005
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Vineta", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• SPA Spanish (Español) (Helga Jost-Weyer) , "Vineta", copyright © 2014, (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 between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 144

From the ocean's deep, deep depths
toll evening bells, muffled and faint,
to give us wonderful tidings
of the beautiful, ancient miracle-city.

Sunk deep down beneath the surging tide,
its ruins have stood fast.
Its battlements send up golden sparks
that reflect visibly on the surface.

And the sailor who once saw this magical shimmer
in the bright sunset
always sails back to the same place,
despite the circle of menacing cliffs above.

From the heart's deep, deep depths
rings a sound like bells, muffled and faint.
Ah, it sends such wonderful tidings
of the love that it has loved.

A beautiful world is sunk there,
its ruins have stood fast,
often sending up golden, heavenly sparks
visible in the mirror of my dreams.

And then I would like to plunge into the depths,
to immerse myself in the [reflection]1,
for it seems to me as if angels called me
into the ancient miracle-city.