The stars | See how they twinkle

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by Carl Ludwig Theodor Lieth (1776 - 1850)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Die Sterne

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Seht, wie blinken, 
Seht, wie winken 
Uns die lieben Sternelein, 
Als ob sie sagen wollten, 
Daß hin wir kommen sollten! 
Wohl muß es droben herrlich sein!

Himmelskerzen, 
Unsre Herzen 
Wären gerne bei euch dort! 
Ihr flammt so lieb herüber 
Und seid uns täglich lieber; 
O flammt doch immer also fort!

Erst noch werden 
Wir auf Erden 
Lernen fromm und weise sein. 
Dann kommen wir zusammen, 
Ihr schönen Gottesflammen, 
In eurem Saal voll Silberschein.

Confirmed with August Engelein, Leitfaden für den deutschen Sprachunterricht, Erster Teil, 94. Verbesserte Auflage, Berlin: Verlag von Wilhelm Schultze, 1892, page 16.

Text Authorship:

by Carl Ludwig Theodor Lieth (1776 - 1850), "Die Sterne" [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 (Karl Friedrich) Gustav Brah-Müller (1839 - 1878), "Die Sterne", op. 34 (Nachtlieder) no. 1, published 1873 [ ttbb quartet ], Leipzig: Siegel [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The stars", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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

This text was added to the website: 2025-09-07
Line count: 18
Word count: 73

The stars

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

See how they twinkle,
See how they beckon
To us, the dear little stars,
As if they wished to say
That we should come to them!
It must truly be glorious up there!

Candles of heaven,
Our hearts
Would gladly be up there with you!
You flame so lovingly down to us
And are dearer to us daily;
Oh, continue ever to flame thus!

First we shall still,
Here upon earth,
Learn to be pious and wise.
Then we shall assemble,
Ye lovely flames of God,
In your hall full of silver radiance.

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 Carl Ludwig Theodor Lieth (1776 - 1850), "Die Sterne"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2025-10-04
Line count: 18
Word count: 93