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Das zarte Knäblein ward ein Mann, Erlöst uns von der Sünde Bann; Doch [neigt]1 er freundlich immerdar Und liebend sich zur Kinderschar. Habt ihr den Ruf des Herrn vernommen, Des Heilands Stimme mild und weich? "Lasset die Kleinen zu mir kommen, Denn ihrer ist das Himmelreich!" Mich aber mahnt die Weihnachtszeit An Träume der Vergangenheit; Erinnrungsodem hauchet mild Den Schleier von der Kindheit Bild; Da Lichter hell am Baum erglommen, Ist mir, als würd' ich Kindern gleich, Als dürft' ich mit Euch Kleinen kommen, Zu theilen Euer Himmelreich.
Confirmed with Peter Cornelius, Gedichte, eingeleitet von Adolf Stern, Leipzig: C.F. Kahnt Nachfolger, 1890, page 143.
1 Cornelius: "neigt' "Text Authorship:
- by Peter Cornelius (1824 - 1874), "Christus der Kinderfreund", appears in Gedichte, in 2. Zu eignen Weisen, in Weihnachtslieder [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 Peter Cornelius (1824 - 1874), "Christus der Kinderfreund", op. 8 no. 5 (1856), published 1871 [ voice and piano ], from Weihnachtslieder, no. 5, Leipzig, Fritzsch; note: in 1979 Geoffrey Emerson wrote a clarinet part to go along with this song [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Christ the Friend of Children", copyright ©
- ENG English [singable] (Elsa Ebertz) , "Christ, the Children's friend"
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Cristo, l'amico dei bambini", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 89
The tender boy became a man and redeemed us from the spell of sin; Yet he always bows kindly and lovingly to a crowd of children. Have you heard the call of the Lord, the Saviour's voice, mild and soft? "Let the little ones come to me, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven!" But to me, Christmastime reminds me of the dreams of the past; a breath of memory gently wafts the veil away from images of childhood; when the candles gleam brightly on the tree, I feel as if I were a child again - as if I could come with you children to share your Heavenly Kingdom.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust, (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.
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Peter Cornelius (1824 - 1874), "Christus der Kinderfreund", appears in Gedichte, in 2. Zu eignen Weisen, in Weihnachtslieder
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 109