by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)
Translation by James Thomson (1834 - 1882)
Es stehen unbeweglich
Language: German (Deutsch)
Our translations: FRE
Es stehen unbeweglich die Sterne in ihrer Höh', viel tausend Jahr, und schauen sich an mit Liebesweh. Sie sprechen eine Sprache, die ist so reich, so schön; doch keiner der Philologen kann diese Sprache verstehn. Ich aber hab sie gelernet, und ich vergesse sie nicht; mir diente als Grammatik der Herzallerliebsten Gesicht.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Heinrich Heine, Buch der Lieder, Hoffmann und Campe, Hamburg, 1827, page 116.
Text Authorship:
- by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, appears in Buch der Lieder, in Lyrisches Intermezzo, no. 8 [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- by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895 - 1968), "Die Sternensprache", 1929, from Drei Heine-Lieder, no. 3, unpublished [sung text not yet checked]
- by Don Forsythe (1932 - 2015), "Es stehen unbeweglich", published c2004-5 [ low voice and piano ], from Eine Dichtererzählung - Herbstzyklus, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Olivier Greif (1950 - 2000), "Es stehen unbeweglich", op. 49 (Light music) no. 3c [sung text not yet checked]
- by Johanna Kinkel (1810 - 1858), "Die Sprache der Sterne", op. 6 (Sechs Lieder) no. 6, published 1839 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Henry J. Lautz , "Es stehen unbeweglich", op. 5 no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Fonteyn Manney (1872 - 1951), "Es stehen unbeweglich", op. 1 (Six Songs = Sechs Lieder) no. 2, published 1898, also set in English [sung text not yet checked]
- by Montague Fawcett Phillips (1885 - 1969), "Die Sterne", published 1912, also set in English [sung text not yet checked]
- by Theodor Raillard (1864 - 1929), "Es stehen unbeweglich", published 1891 [ voice and piano ], from Fünf Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 3, Berlin, Raabe & Plothow [sung text not yet checked]
The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:
- by Oscar Strasnoy (b. 1970), "Es stehen unbeweglich" [ duet for soprano and tenor with piano ], from Heine, no. 4
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation possibly by Montague Fawcett Phillips (1885 - 1969); composed by Montague Fawcett Phillips.
- Also set in English, a translation by James Thomson (1834 - 1882) , appears in The poetical works, first published 1895 ; composed by John Joseph Becker.
- Also set in English, a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Alfred Heller.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in English, a translation by Charles Fonteyn Manney (1872 - 1951) , first published 1898 ; composed by Charles Fonteyn Manney.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in English, a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Holway Atkinson.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Wilhelm Aleksandrovich Sorgenfrei (1882 - 1938) [an adaptation] ; composed by Edison Vasilyevich Denisov.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Charles Beltjens) , no title, appears in Intermezzo lyrique, no. 8, first published 1827
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- POL Polish (Polski) (Aleksander Kraushar) , no title, appears in Pieśni Heinego, in Intermezzo, no. 8, first published 1880
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 52
For many thousand ages
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
For many thousand ages The steadfast stars above Have gazed upon each other With ever mournful love. They speak a certain language, So beautiful, so grand, Which none of the philologians Could ever understand. But I have learned it, learned it For ever, by the grace Of studying the grammar -- My heart's own darling's face.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by James Thomson (1834 - 1882), appears in The poetical works, first published 1895 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, appears in Buch der Lieder, in Lyrisches Intermezzo, no. 8
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by John Joseph Becker (1886 - 1961), "For many thousand ages
", 1925, from Heine Song Cycle, no. 1. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: T. P. (Peter) Perrin
This text was added to the website: 2006-04-05
Line count: 12
Word count: 55