by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)
Translation by Emma Lazarus (1849 - 1887)
Das ist eine weiße Möwe
Language: German (Deutsch)
Das ist eine weiße Möwe, Die ich dort flattern seh Wohl über die dunklen Fluten; Der Mond steht hoch in der Höh. Der Haifisch und der Roche, Die schnappen hervor aus der See, Es hebt sich, es senkt sich die Möwe; Der Mond steht hoch in der Höh. Oh, liebe, flüchtige Seele, Dir ist so bang und weh! Zu nah ist dir das Wasser, Der Mond steht hoch in der Höh.
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Text Authorship:
- by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, appears in Neue Gedichte, in Verschiedene, in Seraphine, no. 3 [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 Julius Becker (1811 - 1859), "Am Meer", op. 4 (Fünf Lieder von H. Heine) no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Richard Farber (b. 1945), "Das ist eine weiße Möwe", 2006, published 2006 [ tenor and piano ], from Seraphine, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Don Forsythe (1932 - 2015), "Das ist eine weiße Möwe", 2007 [ high voice and piano ], from Verschiedene : vol. 1, Seraphine-Hortense, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Georg Katzer (1935 - 2019), "Das ist eine weiße Möwe", published 1973, rev. 1984 [ high voice and piano ], from Drei Heine-Lieder (1972), no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Karl) Emil Kauffmann (1836 - 1909), "Am Meer", op. 6 (Vier Lieder) no. 1, published 1866 [ voice and piano ], Stuttgart, Zumsteeg [sung text not yet checked]
- by Erwin Ernst Wilhelm Meier (b. 1937), "Das ist eine weiße Möwe", published c1996 [ baritone or mezzo-soprano and piano ], from "Sonnennachtigallen sind es ..." : sechs Gedichte aus "Seraphine" von Heinrich Heine, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Emil Naumann (1827 - 1888), "Das ist eine weiße Möwe", op. 27 no. 3, published 1871 [ voice and piano ], from Strandlieder : Liederzyklus, no. 3, Berlin, Bote & Bock [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Emma Lazarus) , "Das ist eine weiße Möwe", appears in Poems Selected from Heinrich Heine, ed. by Kate Freiligrath Kroeker, London: Walter Scott, Limited, page 202, first published 1887
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-01-30
Line count: 12
Word count: 71
Das ist eine weiße Möwe
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Behold! 'tis a foamwhite sea-mew That flutters there on high Far over the black night-waters; The moon hangs up in the sky. The shark and the [ray]1 dart forward For breath as the breeze floats by; The sea-mew poises and plunges; The moon hangs up in the sky. Oh, lovely transient spirit, How heavy of heart am I! Too near to thee is the water, The moon hangs up in the sky.
View original text (without footnotes)
1 in another edition, "roach"
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
1 in another edition, "roach"
Text Authorship:
- by Emma Lazarus (1849 - 1887), "Das ist eine weiße Möwe", appears in Poems Selected from Heinrich Heine, ed. by Kate Freiligrath Kroeker, London: Walter Scott, Limited, page 202, first published 1887 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, appears in Neue Gedichte, in Verschiedene, in Seraphine, no. 3
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2008-05-03
Line count: 12
Word count: 73