Song | With the heavenly gift in its hand

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by Karl August Friedrich von Witzleben (1773 - 1839), as A. v. Tromlitz

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

In der Hand die Himmelsgabe

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

In der Hand die Himmelsgabe
schwebt die Liebe sanft hernieder,
und ihr rosiges Gefieder
deckt das wunde Herz;
aber aus dem [stillen]¹ Grabe
steigt sie himmelwärts.

Wonne, Sehnsucht und Entzücken
reichet sie mit sanften Händen,
auch den Kummer muß sie spenden,
Trennung, Qual und Schmerz;
ach! die Rose, die wir pflücken,
drückt den Dorn ins Herz.

Fühllos auf dem Göttersitze
knickt die Zeit die holde Rose,
und sie sinkt, die Blüthenlose,
welk und hingestreut --
doch des Dornes scharfe Spitze
schmerzt für Ewigkeit.

Schwebe hin, du Himmelsgabe,
nur für meine süßen Lieder
samml' ich deine Blüthen wieder,
nicht für dieses Herz;
nur im finstern öden Grabe
heilet Liebesschmerz.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• J. Lang

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Sämtliche Schriften von A. von Tromlitz, Zweite Sammlung, Siebenundzwanzigstes Bändchen, Das Carnaval. Ritter Franz, Dresden und Leipzig: in der Arnoldischen Buchhandlung, 1836, pages 169-170.

¹ Lang: "finstern"

Text Authorship:

by Karl August Friedrich von Witzleben (1773 - 1839), as A. v. Tromlitz, no title, appears in Ritter Franz, first published 1822 [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 Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Lied", op. 2 (Sechs teutsche [sic] Lieder) no. 3, published 1834 [ voice and piano ], München, Falter und Sohn, note: first published without an opus number; designated by Lang in 1867 as op. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Song", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2006-06-25
Line count: 24
Word count: 108

Song

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

With the heavenly gift in its hand,
Love softly wafts down,
and its rosy plumage
covers the wounded heart;
but from the [quiet]¹ grave
[Love] rises towards heaven.

Joy, longing, and rapture
it presents with gentle hands,
it must also mete out suffering,
separation, agony, and pain;
ah! the rose that we pick
presses a thorn into [our] heart.

On the throne of the gods
Time unfeelingly breaks the lovely rose,
and it sinks, the bloomless one,
wilted and scattered --
but the sharp point of the thorn
pains [us] for all eternity.

Float away, you heavenly gift,
only for my sweet songs
do I again collect your blossoms,
not for this heart [of mine];
only in the dark, desolate grave
shall love's pain heal.

View original text (without footnotes)
Revised July 25, 2021
¹ Lang: "dark"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2006 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 Karl August Friedrich von Witzleben (1773 - 1839), as A. v. Tromlitz, no title, appears in Ritter Franz, first published 1822
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2006-06-25
Line count: 24
Word count: 125