by Johann Gottfried Herder (1744 - 1803)
Translation © by Salvador Pila

Ach, könnt' ich, könnte vergessen Sie!
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the French (Français) 
Available translation(s): CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA SPA
Ach, [könnt' ich, könnte]1 vergessen Sie!
  Ihr [schönes, liebes, liebliches]2 Wesen,
Den Blick, die freundliche Lippe, die!
  Vielleicht ich möchte genesen!
Doch ach! mein Herz, mein Herz kann es nie!
Und doch ist's Wahnsinn, zu hoffen Sie!
    [Und um sie schweben, 
    Gibt Muth und Leben,
    Zu weichen nie! --]3
Und [denn]4, wie kann ich vergessen Sie,
  Ihr [schönes, liebes, liebliches]2 Wesen,
Den Blick, die freundliche Lippe, die!
  Viel lieber nimmer genesen!

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Johann Gottfried v. Herders Sämmtliche Werke, Zur schönen Literatur und Kunst, Dritter Band, Stuttgart und Tübingen, J. G. Cotta'scher Verlag, 1852, pages 193-194.

1 D'Alquen: "könnt' ich, könnt' ich"; Raif: "könnte, könnt' ich"
2 Raif: "schönes, liebliches"
3 omitted by Raif
4 D'Alquen: "doch"; Hensel, Raif: dann"

Authorship:

Based on:

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):

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Een sonnet", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Oh, could I only forget her", copyright ©
  • ENG English [singable] (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist) , "A sonnet"
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Sonnet", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Un sonetto", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Alfonso Sebastián) , copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-09
Line count: 13
Word count: 71

Ai, si jo pogués, si pogués oblidar‑la
Language: Catalan (Català)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Ai, si jo pogués, si pogués oblidar-la,
la seva natura, bella, estimada, adorable,
el seu esguard, els seus amables llavis, ai!
Potser em podria guarir!
Però, ai, el meu cor, el meu cor no pot fer-ho mai!
I tanmateix, tenir esperança en ella és una follia!
I surar al seu entorn,
dóna coratge i vida
per a no defallir!
I així, com la puc oblidar,
la seva natura, bella, estimada, adorable,
el seu esguard, els seus amables llavis, ai!
És millor no guarir mai!

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of title(s):
"Altfranzösisches Sonett" = "Antic sonet francès"
"Altfranzösisches Sonnet" = "Antic sonet francès"
"Ein Sonett" = "Un sonet"
"Ein Sonnet" = "Un sonet"
"Minnelied" = "Cançó d'amor"
"Sonett aus dem 13. Jahrhundert" = "Sonet del segle XIII"
"Sonnet aus dem 13. Jahrhundert" = "Sonet del segle XIII"
"Sonnet aus dem 13. Jhdt." = "Sonet del segle XIII"


Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2022 by Salvador Pila, (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.
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Based on:

Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2022-06-05
Line count: 13
Word count: 84