You said not a word to me | You said not one word to me

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by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Kein Wörtlein hast du mir gesagt

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Kein Wörtlein hast du mir gesagt,
Kein Wörtlein hab' ich dich gefragt, 
Und auch beim Scheiden blieb ich stumm, 
Nur zaghaft schaut' ich nach dir um.

Da sahst du auf, da wußt' ich's klar: 
Mein bist du, mein für immerdar!-- 
Da wußt' ich's klar: Du hast mich lieb, 
Als ob es Gott in's Herz mir schrieb! 

Kein Wörtlein hast du mir gesagt, 
Kein Wörtlein hab' ich dich gefragt: 
Ein einzger Blick, ein einzger Blick 
Entschied mein seliges Geschick!

Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, pages 179-180.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Kein Wörtlein hast du mir gesagt", appears in Liederbuch, in 2. Liebeslieder, no. 204 [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 Franz Wilhelm Abt (1819 - 1885), "Kein Wörtlein hast du mir gesagt", op. 301 (3 Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1866 [ voice and piano ], Offenbach, André [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-11-23
Line count: 12
Word count: 78

You said not a word to me

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

You said not one word to me,
I questioned you with not one word,
And I remained mute even at parting,
My gaze only searched for you hesitantly.

Then you looked up, then I knew it clearly:
You are mine, mine forevermore! --
Then I knew it clearly: you love me,
As if God were writing it in my heart!

You said not one word to me,
I questioned you with not one word,
A single glance, a single glance
Determined my blessed fate!

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:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Kein Wörtlein hast du mir gesagt", appears in Liederbuch, in 2. Liebeslieder, no. 204
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-04-05
Line count: 12
Word count: 83