Sprache der Liebe
Language: German (Deutsch)
Ich [hab' es]1 den Blumen gesagt,
Ich [hab' es]1 den Sternen geklagt,
Die Blumen, sie mögen es hauchen
Umher mit ihrem Duft,
Die Sterne, sie mögen es leuchten
Weithin durch die säuselnde Luft.
Was hab' ich den Blumen gesagt?
Was hab' ich den Sternen geklagt?
Ach, [wem]2 es die Blumen nicht duften,
Der wird mich nicht verstehn;
Und, wohnt dir nicht Liebe im Herzen,
Wirst du's in den Sternen nicht sehn!
View original text (without footnotes)
Confirmed with Neue Miniatur-Bibliothek der Deutschen Classiker: eine Anthologie in 200 Bändchen. Ein hundert sechs und neunzigstes Bändchen. J. G. Seume. Neunter Theil. Apokryphen und Fragmente, Hildburghausen und Philadelphia, Druck und Verlag des Bibliographischen Instituts, 1843, page 84.
1 Széchényi: "hab's"
2 Széchényi: "wenn" (typo?)
Text Authorship:
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 Wilhelm Abt (1819 - 1885), "Sprache der Liebe", op. 342 (2 Duette für Sopran und Bariton oder Bass mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1868 [ vocal duet for soprano and baritone or bass with piano ], Bremen, Cranz [sung text not yet checked]
- by Josephine Lang (1815 - 1880), "Sprache der Liebe", op. 33[34] (Disteln und Dornen), Heft 1 no. 3 (1839), published 1840/1 [ voice and piano ], München: K. b. Hof Musikalien-Handlung von Falter & Sohn und Jos. Aibl (1840/1); Hamburg: G.W. Niemeyer ([1865]) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ernst Michael Quirin Reiter (1814 - 1875), "Sprache der Liebe", op. 2, published 1842 [ voice and piano ], Basel, F. Hegar [sung text not yet checked]
- by Sárvár-Felsővidéki gróf Széchényi Imre (1825 - 1898), "Sprache der Liebe", published 1892 [ voice and piano ], from Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 2, Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Sigismund Thalberg (1812 - 1871), "Sprache der Liebe", op. 13 (Sechs deutsche Lieder, Drittes Heft) no. 3 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The language of Love", copyright © 2006, (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: 2006-12-14
Line count: 12
Word count: 74
The language of Love
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
I told it to the flowers,
I lamented to the stars;
The flowers may breathe it
Out with their scent;
The stars, they may shine it
Far through the wafting air.
What did I confide to the flowers?
What was my lament to the stars?
Ah, the person for whom the flowers do not breathe it
Shall never understand me;
And if there is no love in your heart,
You shall not see it in the stars.
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:
This text was added to the website: 2006-12-14
Line count: 12
Word count: 77