Süßer Freund, du blickest
  Mich verwundert an,
Kannst es nicht begreifen,
  Wie ich weinen kann;
Laß der feuchten Perlen
  Ungewohnte Zier
[Freudenhell erzittern
  In den Wimpern mir]1.

Wie so bang mein Busen,
  Wie so wonnevoll!
Wüßt' ich nur mit Worten,
  Wie ich's sagen soll;
Komm und [birg]2 dein Antlitz
  Hier an meiner Brust,
Will in's Ohr dir flüstern
  Alle meine Lust.

Hab' ob manchen Zeichen
  Mutter schon gefragt,
Hat die gute Mutter
  Alles mir gesagt,
Hat mich unterwiesen,
  Wie, nach allem Schein,
Bald für eine Wiege
  Muß gesorget sein.

Weißt du nun die Thränen,
  Die ich weinen kann?
Sollst du nicht sie sehen,
  Du geliebter Mann;
Bleib' an meinem Herzen,
  Fühle dessen Schlag,
Daß ich fest und fester
  Nur dich drücken mag.

Hier an meinem Bette
  Hat die Wiege Raum,
Wo sie still verberge
  Meinen holden Traum;
Kommen wird der Morgen,
  Wo der Traum erwacht,
Und daraus dein Bildniß
  Mir [entgegen lacht]3.

R. Schumann sets stanzas 1-2, 4-5

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Gedichte von Adelbert von Chamisso, Neunzehnte Auflage (19th edition), Berlin, Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1869, pages 13-14.

Modernized spelling would change "Thränen" to "Tränen" and "Bildniß" to "Bildnis".
¹ Schumann: "Freudig hell erzittern / In dem Auge mir"
² Loewe: "bring"
³ Loewe: "entgegenlacht"

Authorship

• by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838), no title, appears in Lieder und lyrisch epische Gedichte, in Frauen-Liebe und Leben, no. 6 [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 Elizabeth R. Austin (b. 1938), "Süßer Freund", 1999 [ mezzo-soprano or soprano and piano ], from Frauenliebe und -leben, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Johann Karl Gottfried Loewe (1796 - 1869), "Süßer Freund, du blickest", op. 60 no. 6 (1836), from Frauenliebe, Liederkranz von Chamisso, no. 6 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Süßer Freund, du blickest", op. 42 no. 6 (1840), published 1843, stanzas 1-2,4-5 [ voice and piano ], from Frauenliebe und -Leben, no. 6, Leipzig, Whistling [sung text checked 1 time]

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• CHI Chinese (中文) (Mei Foong Ang) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DAN Danish (Dansk) (Maryanna Morthensen) , "Søde ven, du ser", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Lieve vriend, wat kijk je", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Daniel Platt) , "Sweet friend, thou gazest", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Kyle Gee) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Doux ami, étonné", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• HEB Hebrew (עברית) (Max Mader) (Tsippora Samberg) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• IRI Irish (Gaelic) [singable] (Gabriel Rosenstock) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Dolce amico, tu", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• NOR Norwegian (Bokmål) (Marianne Beate Kielland) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• RUS Russian (Русский) (Natalia Vyshynska) , "Милый друг, ты смотришь", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 40
Word count: 152

Dolce amico, tu 
mi guardi meravigliato,
non puoi capire, 
come io possa piangere;
lascia che l'insolito 
ornamento di umide perle
tremi gioioso 
e chiaro nei miei occhi.

Come è pauroso il mio cuore, 
come è felice,
se solo sapessi 
dirlo a parole,
vieni e nascondi il tuo viso qui, 
sul mio petto,
all'orecchio ti sussurrerò 
tutta la mia gioia.










Se tu sai ora le lacrime 
che posso versare,
non devi forse vederle, 
sposo amato?
Resta sul mio cuore, 
sentine il battito,
che io stringa sempre 
più forte solo te.

Qui vicino al mio letto 
c'è posto per la culla,
dove quieto si nasconda 
il mio dolce sogno;
verrà il mattino 
ove il sogno si sveglia,
e di là la tua 
immagine mi sorride.