Der Engel am Christabend
Language: German (Deutsch)
Chosen for Diff
Über den beschneiten Rüstern
Engel flüstern,
Harren, bis die Nacht bricht an,
Und mit leisem, leisem Wiegen
Darf durchfliegen
Jeder die gewiesne Bahn.
Glocken hallen. Zu den Kleinen
Ziehn die Einen,
Führn sie flugs in's Paradies,
Das den Kindern, das den Armen
Voll Erbarmen
Der herniederkam, verhieß.
Zu dem Fremdling schweben Andre,
Daß er wandre
Nach der Heimath froh zurück;
Zu der Mutter, daß voll Wonne
Sie sich sonne
An der Kinder Lust und Glück.
Doch von allen Engeln keinen,
Wie dem Einen
Leuchtete die Stirn voll Glanz,
Der getröstet im Entschweben
Voller Beben
Noch ein Kind, verlassen ganz.
Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, page 346.
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):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The angel on Christmas Eve", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs
[Senior Associate Editor]This text was added to the website: 2026-06-04
Line count: 24
Word count: 100
The angel on Christmas Eve
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Chosen for Diff
Above the snow-covered elms
Angels whisper,
They abide until night falls,
And with a soft, soft rocking motion
Every one of them is permitted
To fly his designated path.
Bells resound. To the little ones
Some [of the angels] travel,
Quickly they lead them into Paradise,
Which to the children, to the poor,
Full of compassion,
He who came down promised.
To the stranger other [angels] float,
So that he may wander
Happily back to his homeland;
To the mother so that, full of bliss,
She may bask
In the children's delight and happiness.
But of all the angels there is none
Whose brow shone
Full of radiance like the one
Who comforted, even while wafting away,
A child [that was] full of trembling,
Utterly forsaken.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2026 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: 2026-09-15
Line count: 24
Word count: 127
