I love you . . . | I shall tear you from my heart

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by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Ich liebe dich

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Ich reiße dich aus meinem Herzen,
Aus meinem Leben reiß ich dich,
Denn wie ein heimlich schleichend Fieber
Zehrst du an mir und tötest mich.

In jeden Tag, in jede Stunde
Schleicht dein geliebtes Bild sich ein,
Und ob ich zitternd dir entfliehe
In Lust und Lärm -- du holst mich ein.

Mein eigen Blut hat sich verschworen,
Mit dir im Bunde gegen mich --
Es braust und tobt mir in den Adern:
"Ich liebe dich . . . ich liebe dich."

Confirmed with Anna Ritter, Befreiung. Neue Gedichte, Fünfte Auflage, Stuttgart: J.G. Cotta'sche Buchhandlung Nachfolger, 1900, page 97.

Text Authorship:

by Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921), "Ich liebe dich ...", appears in Befreiung. Neue Gedichte, in 4. Fremdes Leben, no. 19 [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 Alexander von Fielitz (1860 - 1930), "Ich liebe dich", op. 76 no. 4, published 1901 [ voice and piano ], from Sechs Gedichte von Anna Ritter, für eine Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 4, Magdeburg, Heinrichshofen's Verlag [sung text not yet checked]
by Hans Fleischer (1896 - 1981), "Ich liebe dich", op. 3 (6 Lieder für Mezzosopran und Klavier) no. 1 (1920) [ mezzo-soprano and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Walter Rabl (1873 - 1940), "Ich liebe dich", op. 15 (Zwei Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Klavier) no. 1 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig: D. Rahter, n.d. [sung text not yet checked]

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

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "I love you . . .", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Je t'aime ...", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2011-07-07
Line count: 12
Word count: 80

I love you . . .

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

I shall tear you from my heart,
From out of my life I shall tear you,
For like a secretly creeping fever
You are wearing me out and killing me.

On every day, in every hour
Your beloved image sneaks in,
And though I flee from you, trembling
In joy and noise -- you catch me up.

My very blood has conspired
In alliance with you against me --
It surges and riots in my veins:
"I love you . . . I love you."

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2024 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 Anna (Nuhn) Ritter (1865 - 1921), "Ich liebe dich ...", appears in Befreiung. Neue Gedichte, in 4. Fremdes Leben, no. 19
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2024-01-07
Line count: 12
Word count: 83