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Maria, wahre Himmelsfreud', der Welt Ergötzlichkeit! Wer wollt' dich nicht lieben? Du stehst mir geschrieben, ja mir gegraben mit tiefen Buchstaben in meinem Herzelein! Wie schmelzet ein Karfunkelstein im Lorbeerkränzelein, so geht es mir eben, mein' Seel' und mein Leben vor Lieb' sich zertrennen und in sich verbrennen bei deinem Nennen! Der ganzen Schöpfung reiche Zier vergleicht sich nicht mit dir. Es dürfen die Blumen ihr' Schönheit nicht rühmen, sie müssen sich schämen, du tuest benehmen all' ihre Zierlichkeit. Des Himmels Sternenangesicht und aller Sonnen Licht, samt Edelgesteinen, sie dürfen nicht scheinen, die Perlen, Korallen, Gold, Silber, sie fallen vor dir in Finsternis. Maria, o mein' höchste Freud', die Welt ist mir verleidt, ich suche zu sterben; du woll'st mir erwerben nur Gottes Gnaden, auf höheren Pfaden so scheid' ich fröhlich hin.
Authorship:
- from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , appears in Des Knaben Wunderhorn [author's text not yet checked 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 Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Marias Lob", op. 22 no. 7 (1859), published 1862 [ mixed chorus ], from Marienlieder, no. 7, Leipzig, Rieter-Biedermann [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Lof van Maria", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Linda Godry) , "Praised be Mary", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Louange à Marie", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Giovanni Duci) , "Lode a Maria", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Alfonso Sebastián) , "Alabanza a María", copyright © 2021, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 35
Word count: 132
Maria, vera gioia celeste, diletto del mondo! Chi non vorrebbe amarti? Tu mi sei scritta, anzi scolpita a grandi lettere nel mio cuoricino! Come ben si fonde un rubino in una coroncina d'alloro, così proprio mi capita: la mia anima e la mia vita per amore si dividono e in sé stesse ardono soltanto a nominarti! La ricca leggiadrìa di tutto il creato non può confrontarsi con te. Non possono i fiori glorificare la loro bellezza, debbono provar vergogna; tu fai venir meno ogni loro grazia. L'intera volta celeste e la luce di tutte le stelle insieme alle pietre preziose non potrebbero brillare, le perle, i coralli, oro e argento cadono di fronte a te nell'oscurità. Maria, mia suprema gioia, ho in avversione il mondo, cerco di morire; solo se tu volessi ottenermi grazia da Dio, per più alti sentieri trapasserei lieto.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to Italian (Italiano) copyright © by Giovanni Duci, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Giovanni Duci.  Contact: duci.giovanni (AT) coroantichearmonie.it
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact:
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , appears in Des Knaben Wunderhorn
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 35
Word count: 143