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[An]1 dies Schifflein schmiege, Holder See, dich sacht! Frommer Liebe Wiege, Nimm sie wohl in Acht! Deine Wellen rauschen; Rede nicht so laut! Laß mich ihr nur lauschen, Die mir viel vertraut! Deine Wellen [leuchten]2, Spiegeln uns zurück Tausendfach die feuchten Augen voller Glück. Deine Wellen zittern [Von]3 der Sonne Glut; Ob [sie's]4 heimlich wittern, Wie die Liebe tut? Weit und weiter immer Rück den Strand hinaus! Aus dem Himmel nimmer Laß uns steigen aus! Fern von Menschenreden Und von Menschensinn, Als ein schwimmend Eden Trag dies Schifflein hin!
J. Brahms sets stanzas 1-2, 4-6
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Gedichte von C. Reinhold, Stuttgart: C. Mäcken, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1853, pages 41-42.
First published in the periodical Morgenblatt, November 9, 1840 (No. 268).
Note to Lang's setting: Lang was working a text that Köstlin had copied out for her (Christian Reinhold Köstlin’s poetry manuscripts, Cod.hist. 4º 437, Fasz. 10a Nr. 1, poem [23], Württembergische Landesbibliothek, Stuttgart, Germany); in that copy the poem began with "Um." With the exception of "rauschen" in stanza 3 (which was Lang's error) all the other differences are also from that poetry manuscript.
1 Lang: "Um"2 Lang: "rauschen"
3 Lang: "Vor"
4 Lang: "sie"
Authorship:
- by Christian Reinhold (1813 - 1856), no title, written 1840, appears in Gedichte, in Lieder und vermischte Gedichte, in Seelieder, no. 11, first published 1840 [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 Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Auf dem See", op. 106 (Fünf Lieder) no. 2 (1885), published 1888, stanzas 1-2,4-6 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Simrock [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "An den See", op. 14 (Sechs deutsche Lieder) no. 4 (1841), published 1848 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Op het meer (Kabbel langs dit scheepje)", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Nestle up to this little boat", copyright ©
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Sur le lac", copyright © 2010, (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: 90
Nestle [up]1 to this little boat Gently, lovely lake! It is the cradle of devout love, Guard it carefully! Your waves are swooshing; Do not speak so loudly! Let me listen only to her Who entrusts many things to me! Your waves [gleam]2, A thousand-fold they reflect Back to us our moist Eyes full of happiness. Your waves tremble [Because of]3 the blazing of the sun; Do they secretly sense How love behaves? Far and ever farther Move away from the shore! Let us never disembark From this heaven! Far from the gossip of people And from their ponderings, Carry this little boat away Like a floating Eden!
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Translations of title(s):
"An den See" = "To the lake"
"Auf dem See" = "Upon the lake"
2 Lang: "are swooshing"
3 Lang: "Before"
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2021 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 Christian Reinhold (1813 - 1856), no title, written 1840, appears in Gedichte, in Lieder und vermischte Gedichte, in Seelieder, no. 11, first published 1840
This text was added to the website: 2021-09-22
Line count: 24
Word count: 109