by Felix Ludwig Julius Dahn (1834 - 1912)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Und käm zu mir das schönste Weib, das je...
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG
Und käm zu mir das schönste Weib, das je geblüht auf Erden
  Und spräch: "Mein wonniglicher Leib, er soll dein eigen werden,
  Doch singen darfst du fürder nie, das Lied mußt du verschwören:" --
  Ich sagte: "Du Vielschöne, flieh, du sollst mich nicht bethören."
Und stieg von seinem hohen Thron der König selber nieder, 
  Und riefe: "Nimm die reiche Kron', doch, lasse deine Lieder," -- 
  Ich sagt': "Herr König, tausend Heil! Bleib du da oben thronen,
  Die frohe Kunst ist mir nicht feil um tausend goldne Kronen."
Und läßt mich Gott zum Himmel ein, trotz aller meiner Mängel, 
  Und sagt: "Hier mußt du stille sein, hier singen nur die Engel:" -- 
  Ich sagte: "Lieber Gott, laß mich auf deiner schönen Erden,
  Denn ohne Lieder könnte ich auch droben froh nicht werden."

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Felix Dahn's Sämtliche Werke poetischen Inhalts, Band XVI, Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1898, page 76.


Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "I si vingués la dona més formosa ", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "And if the most beautiful woman came to me", copyright © 2019, (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: 2014-11-16
Line count: 12
Word count: 128

And if the most beautiful woman came to me
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
And if the most beautiful woman who ever bloomed upon earth came to me
  And said: "My delightful body, it shall become your own,
  But from then on you may not sing, you must forswear poetry:" --
  I would say:  "You most lovely of women, take yourself off, you shall not bewitch me."
And if the King himself descended from his high throne
  And called:  "Take the rich crown, but forsake your songs," --
  I would say:  "Lord King, a thousand salutations! You remain enthroned up there,
  My merry art is not for sale, not for a thousand golden crowns."
And should God let me enter Heaven, despite all of my shortcomings,
  And say:  "Here you must be quiet; here only the angels sing:" --
  I would say:  "Dear God, leave me here upon your beautiful earth,
  For without songs I could not be happy even on high."

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2019 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.
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This text was added to the website: 2019-12-30
Line count: 12
Word count: 145