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Männliche Stimme. Liebe ist ein süßes Licht. Wie die Erde strebt zur Sonne, Und zu jenen hellen Sternen In den weiten blauen Fernen, Strebt das Herz nach Liebeswonne: Denn sie ist ein süßes Licht. Weibliche Stimme. Sieh! wie hoch in stiller Feyer Droben helle Sterne funkeln: Von der Erde fliehn die dunkeln Schwermuthsvollen trüben Schleyer. Wehe mir! [doch]1 wie so trübe Fühl ich tief mich im Gemüthe, Das in Freuden sonst erblühte, Nun vereinsamt, ohne Liebe. Beyde Stimmen. Liebe ist ein süßes Licht. Wie die Erde strebt zur Sonne, Und zu jenen hellen Sternen In den weiten blauen Fernen, Strebt das Herz nach Liebeswonne: [Denn sie]2 ist ein süßes Licht.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Dramatische Dichtungen von Matthäus von Collin. Erster Band. Friedrich der Streitbare. - Der Cid. Pesth 1813, bey Konrad Adolph Hartleben, pages 95-96.
1 omitted by Schubert.2 Schubert: "Liebe"
Text Authorship:
- by Matthäus Kasimir von Collin (1779 - 1824), no title, appears in Der Tod Friedrich des Streitbaren. Ein Trauerspiel in fünf Aufzügen, Act IV, Scene 2 [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 Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Licht und Liebe", subtitle: "Nachtgesang", D 352 (1816?), published 1847 [ vocal duet with piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Emily Ezust (b. 1972) , no title, copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission ; composed by Gary Bachlund.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Malcolm Halliday) , "Light and Love", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Lewis Grenville) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Lourdes Leon) , "Luz y amor", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 23
Word count: 112
Love is a sweet light. As the world pursues the sun And every bright star In the wide blue distance, So does the heart pursue the bliss of love; For it is a sweet light. Look, how high in silent ceremony Over there, bright stars glint: They fly from the world's dark, Gloom-filled, murky haze. Woe is me! How cheerless I feel deep in my mind, Which once blossomed in joy And is now isolated, without love. Love is a sweet light. As the world pursues the sun And every bright star In the wide blue distance, So does the heart pursue the bliss of love: Love is a sweet light.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of titles
"Licht und Liebe" = "Light and love"
"Nachtgesang" = "Nocturne"
Text Authorship:
- by Emily Ezust (b. 1972), no title, copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Matthäus Kasimir von Collin (1779 - 1824), no title, appears in Der Tod Friedrich des Streitbaren. Ein Trauerspiel in fünf Aufzügen, Act IV, Scene 2
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Love is a sweet light", 2018 [mezzo-soprano and piano] [ sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2017-01-25
Line count: 20
Word count: 111