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Du kleine grünumwachsne Quelle, An der ich Daphne jüngst gesehn! Dein Wasser war so still! [so]1 helle! Und Daphne's Bild [darin]2, so schön! O, wenn sie sich [noch mahl]3 am Ufer sehen läßt, So halte du ihr schönes Bild doch fest; Ich schleiche [heimlich denn]4 mit naßen Augen hin, Dem [Bilde]5 meine Noth zu klagen; Denn, wenn ich bey ihr selber bin, [Denn, ach! denn]6 kann ich ihr nichts sagen.
Confirmed with ASMUS omnia sua SECUM portans, oder Sämmtliche Werke des Wandsbecker Bothen, I. und II. Theil. Beym Verfasser, und in Commißion bey Fr. Perthes in Hamburg. [1774], page 154; with ASMUS omnia sua SECUM portans, oder Sämmtliche Werke des Wandsbecker Bothen, Erster und zweiter Theil. Wandsbeck, 1774. Beym Verfasser, page 93; and with ASMVS omnia sua SECVM portans, oder Sämmtliche Werke des Wandsbecker Bothen, I. und II. Theil. Carlsruhe, bey Christian Gottlieb Schmieder. 1784, page 154.
First published in 1764 in a slightly different version in Tändeleyen und Erzählungen, see below.
1 Schubert: "und"2 Weber: "darinn"
3 Weber: "nochmal"
4 Claudius (Wandsbeck 1774 edition), Kraus, Schubert: "heimlich dann"; Weber: "dann"
5 Claudius (Carlsruhe, 1784 edition), Kraus, Schubert: "Bild"
6 Claudius (Wandsbeck 1774 edition), Kraus, Schubert, Weber: "Dann, ach! dann"
Text Authorship:
- by Matthias Claudius (1740 - 1815), "An eine Quelle", written 1760, first published 1764 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Joseph Martin Kraus (1756 - 1792), "An eine Quelle", VB 75 (1783) [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "An eine Quelle", op. posth. 109 (Drei Lieder) no. 3, D 530 (1817), published 1829 [ voice, piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Bernhard Anselm Weber (1764 - 1821), "An eine Quelle" [sung text checked 1 time]
Another version of this text exists in the database.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "A una font", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Tot een bron", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "To a spring", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "À une source", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "A una fonte", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor] , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 10
Word count: 77
Little spring, grown over with green, I recently saw Daphne beside you! Your water was so still and bright and Daphne's face so fair within! O if she should let herself be seen again by your side, keep her fair image fast; I will creep up secretly, with moist eyes, and lament all my troubles to her image. For when I am with her alone, alas, I cannot say a thing!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Matthias Claudius (1740 - 1815), "An eine Quelle", written 1760, first published 1764
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 10
Word count: 71