Zu Augsburg steht ein hohes Haus,
Nah bei dem alten Dom,
Da tritt [an hellem]1 Morgen aus
Ein Mägdelein gar fromm;
   Gesang erschallt, 
   Zum Dome wallt
   Die liebe Gestalt.

Dort vor [Mariä]2 heilig' Bild
Sie betend niederkniet,
Der Himmel hat ihr Herz erfüllt,
Und alle Weltlust flieht:
   "O [Jungfrau]3 rein!
   Laß mich allein
   Dein eigen seyn!"

Alsbald [der Glocke dumpfer]4 Klang
Die Betenden erweckt,
Das Mägdlein wallt die Hall' entlang,
Es weiß nicht, was es trägt;
   [Auf dem Haupte]5 ganz
   Von Himmelsglanz
   Einen Liljenkranz.

Mit Staunen [sehen]6 all' die Leut'
Dieß Kränzlein licht im Haar,
Das Mägdlein aber wallt nicht weit,
Tritt vor den Hochaltar:
   "Zur Nonne weiht
   "Mich arme Maid!
   "Stirb, Lieb' und Freud'!"

[Gott, gib, daß dieses Mägdelein
Ihr Kränzlein friedlich trag']7,
Es ist die [Allerliebste]8 mein,
Bleibt's bis zum jüngsten Tag.
   Sie weiß es nicht,
   Mein Herz zerbricht,
   Stirb, Lieb' und Licht!

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View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Die lyrischen Gedichte von Justinus Kerner, Fünfte verbesserte Auflage, Stuttgart und Tübingen: J.G. Cotta'scher Verlag, 1854, pages 91-92.

¹ Silcher, Spohr: "an einem"
² von Goethe: "Marie"; Schumann: "Marias"
³ Silcher: "Mutter"
⁴ Silcher: "von selbst der Glocke"
⁵ von Goethe, Hetch, Platz, Schumann, Spohr: "Am Haupte"; Silcher: "Auf dem Haupt so"
⁶ Hetsch, Platz, Schumann, Spohr: "schauen"
⁷ Schumann: "Gott, gib, daß dieses Mägd'lein/ Ihr Kränzlein friedlich trag' "; Silcher: "Gott geb', daß dieses Kränzelein/ Dieß Mägd'lein friedlich trag'"
⁸ Hetsch, Platz, Schumann, Silcher, Spohr: "Herzallerliebste"

Text Authorship:

• by Justinus (Andreas Christian) Kerner (1786 - 1862), "Stirb, Lieb' und Freud'!", appears in Gedichte, in Die lyrischen Gedichte [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 Walter von Goethe (1817 - 1885), "Stirb, Lieb' und Freud!", op. 7 (Sechs Lieder) no. 2, published 1841/2 [ voice and piano ], Bonn: N.Simrock [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Karl Ludwig Friedrich Hetsch (1806 - 1872), "Die Himmelsbraut", op. 23 (Drei Lieder) no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Wilhelm Platz , "Die Himmelsbraut", published 1900, from Hundert Lieder, no. 36 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Stirb, Lieb' und Freud'", op. 35 no. 2 (1840), published 1841 [ voice and piano ], from Zwölf Gedichte von Justinus Kerner, no. 2, Leipzig, Klemm [sung text checked 1 time]
• by (Philipp) Friedrich Silcher (1789 - 1860), "Stirb' Lieb' und Freud", op. 14 no. 6, published c1830 [ four-part men's chorus a cappella ], from Zwölf Volkslieder für vier Männerstimmen, drittes Heft, no. 6, Tübingen: Heinrich Laupp'sche Buchhandlung [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Louis [Ludwig] Spohr (1784 - 1859), "Die Himmelsbraut", op. 105 no. 1 (1838) [sung text checked 1 time]

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Moriu amor i joia!", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Moriu amor i joia!", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Sterf, liefde, jij!", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "In Augsburg stands a lofty house", copyright ©
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Estinguiti, amore e gioia", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Melanie Trumbull

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 35
Word count: 154

At Augsburg there stands a tall house,
Close beside the old cathedral,
Upon [a bright]1 morning, a devout maiden
Comes forth from there;
   Singing rings out,
   To the cathedral processes
   The dear figure.

There before St. Mary's holy image,
She kneels down praying,
Heaven has filled her heart,
And all earthly joy vanishes:
   "O [Virgin]2 pure!
   Let me be solely
   Thine own!"

Straightaway the [dull tolling of the bell]3
Wakens the prayerful ones,
The maiden walks along the vaulted corridor,
She does not know what she wears;
   Upon her head, [utterly]4
   Full of heavenly radiance,
   A wreath of lilies.

With awe all the people see
This bright little wreath in her hair,
But the maiden does not process far,
She comes to stand before the high altar:
   "Dedicate me as nun,
   Me, the poor maiden!
   Perish, love and joy!"

God grant that this maiden
Wears her wreath in peace]5
She is my dearest beloved,
Shall remain so until the Day of Judgement.
   She does not know it,
   My heart is breaking,
   Perish, love and light!