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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.

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by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836)
Translation © by Lau Kanen

Am See
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE
Sitz' ich im Gras am glatten See,
Beschleicht die Seele [süßes]1 Weh,
[Wie Aeolsharfen klingt]2 mich an
[Ein unnennbarer Zauberwahn]3.

Das Schilfrohr neiget seufzend sich,
Die Uferblumen grüßen mich,
Der Vogel klagt, die Lüfte wehn,
Vor [Schmerzeslust]4 möcht' ich vergehn!

Wie mir das Leben kräftig quillt
Und sich in raschen Strömen spielt.
Wie's bald in trüben Massen gährt,
Und bald zum Spiegel sich verklärt.

Bewußtseyn meiner tiefsten Kraft,
Ein Wonnemeer in mir erschafft.
Ich stürze kühn in seine Fluth
Und ringe um das höchste Gut!

O Leben bist so himmlisch schön,
In deinen Tiefen, in deinen Höhn.
Dein freundlich Licht soll ich nicht sehn,
Den finstern Pfad des Orkus gehn?

Doch bist du mir das Höchste nicht: 
Drum opfr' ich freudig dich der Pflicht.
Ein Strahlenbild schwebt mir voran,
Und mutig wag' ich's Leben dran!

Das Strahlenbild ist oft betränt,
Wenn es durch meinen Busen brennt,
Die Tränen weg vom Wangenrot,
Und dann in tausendfachen Tod.

Du warst so menschlich, warst so hold, 
O großer deutscher Leopold!
Die Menschheit [füllte]5 dich so ganz
Und reichte dir den Opferkranz.

Und hehr geschmückt sprangst du hinab,
Für Menschen in das Wellengrab.
Vor dir erbleicht, o Fürstensohn,
Thermopylae und Marathon!

Das Schilfrohr neiget seufzend sich,
Die Uferblumen grüßen mich,
Der Vogel klagt, die Lüfte wehn,
Vor Schmerzeslust möcht' ich vergehn!

View original text (without footnotes)

This is the initial version of Mayrhofer's poem, given to Schubert in manuscript form by Josef von Spaun in 1814. The poem was printed ten years later in an adapted version by Mayrhofer; see below.

Note: When this song was published for the first time, by Friedlaender in 1885, only a part of Schubert's manuscript was at hand. So Friedlaender decided to publish only the first two stanzas (with textual modifications) and add a repetition with two more stanzas, provided by Max Kalbeck. These additional stanzas can be found here.

Note: The Leopold mentioned in the text was Herzog Leopold von Braunschweig (a newphew of Frederick the Great), who was drowned on April 27, 1785, in an attempt to save citizens during a flood on the river Oder.
Orkus (Orcus in English) was the Roman god of death and the underworld, either a terrible god or a gentle one. He is the god of oaths and punisher of perjurers. Orcus is identical to the Greek Hades, both the god and his domains.

1 Schubert (Friedlaender edition): "banges"
2 Schubert (Friedlaender edition): "Mit Geisterarmen rührt"
3 Schubert (Friedlaender edition): "Geheimnisvoller Zauberbann"
4 Schubert (Friedlaender edition): "Schmerzenslust"
5 Schubert (Alte Gesamtausgabe): "fühlte"

Text Authorship:

  • by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836), "Am See", written <<1814, first published 1824

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), "Am See", D 124 (1814), published 1885 [ voice and piano ], Friedlaender VII, Leipzig (redacted) [sung text checked 1 time]

Another version of this text exists in the database.

  • Go to the text. [ view differences ]

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "A la vora del llac", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Aan het meer", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "By the lake", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Près du lac", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


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

This text was added to the website: 2013-03-18
Line count: 40
Word count: 223

Aan het meer
Language: Dutch (Nederlands)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Als ik zit in 't gras aan 't gladde meer,
Slaat sluipend' angst mijn ziel terneer,
Als Aeólusharpen waait mij aan
Een ongrijpbare toverwaan.

Het rietkoor zucht en buigt opzij,
De oeverbloemen groeten mij,
De vogel klaagt, de wolken gaan,
Van smartgenot zou 'k graag vergaan!

Hoe het leven in mij krachtig welt
En in de stromen speels voortsnelt,
Hoe 't soms tot troeb'le massa gist
En dan tot spiegel zich weer wist.

Bewustzijn van mijn diepste kracht
Schept 'n zee van vreugde ongedacht.
Ik stort mij dapper in haar vloed
En worstel om het hoogste goed.

O leven, je bent hemels mooi,
In diep verdriet, in hoogste tooi!
Mag ik in je vriend'lijk licht niet staan,
Moet 'k 't duister pad van Orcus gaan?

Doch jij hebt niet het grootst gewicht,
Dus offer ik blij je aan de plicht;
Een stralend beeld zweeft voor mij heen
En daarvoor zet 'k mijn leven in!

Het stralend beeld is vaak betraand,
Als 't door mijn borst een weg zich brandt,
De tranen weg van 't wangenrood
En dan wel duizend maal de dood.

Gij waart zo mens'lijk, vol geduld,
O grote Duitse Leopold,
De mensheid vulde uw bestaan,
En d' offerkrans bood zij u aan.

In vol tenue sprongt gij hier af,
Voor mensen in het golvengraf.
Voor u verbleken, vorstenzoon,
Thermopylae en Marathon.

Het rietkoor zucht en buigt opzij,
De oeverbloemen groeten mij,
De vogel klaagt, de wolken gaan,
Van smartgenot zou 'k graag vergaan!

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), "Am See", written <<1814, first published 1824
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2006-05-16
Line count: 40
Word count: 245

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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