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by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)
Translation by Emma Lazarus (1849 - 1887)

Auf diesem Felsen bauen wir
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Auf diesem Felsen bauen wir
Die Kirche von dem dritten,
Dem dritten neuen Testament;
Das Leid ist ausgelitten.

Vernichtet ist das Zweierlei,
Das uns so lang betöret;
Die dumme Leiberquälerei
Hat endlich aufgehöret.

Hörst du den Gott im finstern Meer?
Mit tausend Stimmen spricht er.
Und siehst du über unserm Haupt
Die tausend Gotteslichter?

Der heilge Gott der ist im Licht
Wie in den Finsternissen;
Und Gott ist alles was da ist;
Er ist in unsern Küssen.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), no title, appears in Neue Gedichte, in Verschiedene, in Seraphine, no. 7 [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 Richard Farber (b. 1945), "Auf diesem Felsen bauen wir", 2006, published 2006 [ tenor and piano ], from Seraphine, no. 7 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Don Forsythe (1932 - 2015), "Auf diesem Felsen bauen wir", 2007, published c2007-8 [ high voice and piano ], from Verschiedene : vol. 1, Seraphine-Hortense, no. 7 [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in Italian (Italiano), a translation by Bernardino Zendrini (1839 - 1879) ; composed by Giovanni Sgambati.
      • Go to the text.

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

  • ENG English (Emma Lazarus) , appears in Poems and Ballads of Heinrich Heine, first published 1881


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2007-10-19
Line count: 16
Word count: 77

Come, let us build upon this rock
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Come, let us build upon this rock,
   The Church of God's last lover,
The third New Testament's revealed,
   The agony is over.

Refuted is the second book
   That fooled us through long ages.
The stupid torture of the flesh
   Is not for modern sages.

Hear'st thou the Lord in the dark sea,
   With thousand voices speaking?
See'st thou o'er head the thousand lights
   Of God's own glory breaking?

The holy God dwells in the light,
   As in the dark abysses.
For God is everything that is:
   His breath is in our kisses.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Emma Lazarus (1849 - 1887), appears in Poems and Ballads of Heinrich Heine, first published 1881 [author's text not yet checked 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. 7
    • Go to the text page.

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 text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-05-03
Line count: 16
Word count: 92

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