Faithful love | Darling, should I ask you

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by Johann Paul Kaltenbaeck (1804 - 1861)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Treue Minne

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Herzlieb soll ich dich fragen,
Ob das mag Wahrheit sein:
Bin ich dir aus den Augen,
Hast du vergessen mein?

Und wärst du noch so ferne,
Du Allerliebste mein
Mein Hoffen und mein Lieben
Und meine Treue blieben
Bei dir, bei dir allein!

Diess Wort hab ich gehöret
Aus ihrem rothen Mund
Dein hab' ich wohl verspüret
Ein Herze das gesund.

Drum will ich ruhig leben,
In ihrem Dienst stets sein[,]
Das glaube mir weil eben
Sie mir dies Wort gegeben
Die Allerliebste mein.

Text Authorship:

by Johann Paul Kaltenbaeck (1804 - 1861) [author's text not yet checked 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), "Treue Minne", op. 20 (VI Altdeutsche Lieder), Heft 2 no. 4, published 1847 [ ttbb quartet and piano ], Hannover: in der Hofmusikalienhandlung von Adolph Nagel [sung text checked 1 time]

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

This text was added to the website: 2025-12-13
Line count: 18
Word count: 84

Faithful love

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Darling, should I ask you
If this can be true:
As soon as I am out of sight
You have forgotten me?

And if you were ever so far away,
You dearest beloved of mine,
My hope and my love
And my faithfulness would remain
With you, with you alone!

I heard this word
From her red lips
I quite discerned that you have
A heart that is sound.

Therefore, I shall live quietly,
Shall ever be in her service,
Believe me, because she just
Gave me this promise,
My most dearly beloved.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2025 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 Johann Paul Kaltenbaeck (1804 - 1861)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2025-12-16
Line count: 18
Word count: 93