Het geheim. Aan Franz Schubert | Zeg op, wie leert jou lied'ren

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836)

Translation © by Lau Kanen

Sag an, wer lehrt dich Lieder

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG ENG FRE

Sag an, wer lehrt dich Lieder,
So schmeichelnd und so zart?
Sie [zaubern]¹ einen Himmel
Aus trüber Gegenwart.
Erst lag das Land, verschleyert,
Im Nebel vor uns da -
Du singst - und Sonnen leuchten,
Und Frühling ist uns nah.

Den [Alten, Schilfbekränzten]²,
Der seine Urne gießt,
Erblickst du nicht, nur Wasser,
Wie's durch die Wiesen fließt.
So geht es auch dem Sänger,
Er [singt und]³ staunt in sich;
Was still ein Gott bereitet,
Befremdet ihn, wie dich.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• F. Schubert

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Gedichte von Johann Mayrhofer. Wien. Bey Friedrich Volke. 1824, page 9; and with Conversationblatt. Zeitschrift für wissenschaftliche Unterhaltung. Dritter Jahrgang. 1821. Nr. 69. (Wien, Mittwoch den 29. August) Im Verlage der Gerold'schen Buchhandlung, page 821.

Note: Schubert received Mayrhofer's texts generally in handwriting; the printed edition of Mayrhofer's poems appeared much later and presents the texts usually in a revised version.

¹ Schubert: "rufen"
² Schubert: "schilfbekränzten Alten"
³ Schubert: "singt, er"

Text Authorship:

by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836), "Geheimniß", subtitle: "An F. Schubert" [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 Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Geheimnis", D 491 (1816), published 1887 [ voice, piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 80

Het geheim. Aan Franz Schubert

Language: Dutch (Nederlands) after the German (Deutsch)

Zeg op, wie leert jou lied'ren,
Zo lieflijk en zo teer?
Zij scheppen ons een hemel
Uit 't droeve daag'lijks zeer.
Eerst lag het land versluierd,
In nevel weggedaan -
Jij zingt, en zonnen stralen,
De lente komt er aan.

De rietbekranste oude,
Die weer zijn urn leeggooit,
Bekijk jij niet, wel 't water,
Hoe 't door de weiden vloeit.
Zo gaat het ook de zanger,
Hij zingt en denkt: Nou, nou!
Wat stil een god hem voorzet,
Verbijstert hem als jou.

Text Authorship:

Singable translation from German (Deutsch) to Dutch (Nederlands) copyright © 2006 by Lau Kanen, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., please ask the copyright-holder(s) directly.
Lau Kanen. Contact: boudewijnkanen (AT) gmail (DOT) com

If the copyright-holder(s) are unreachable for three business days, please write to: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836), "Geheimniß", subtitle: "An F. Schubert"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2006-03-29
Line count: 16
Word count: 81