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Ich kenn' ein Auge, das, so mild, Und glänzend wie ein Sternenbild, Voll Huld auf mich hernieder sieht Und mich hinauf zum Himmel zieht. Dort prangt ein Stern so hell und rein Wie jenes Auges Sonnenschein . . . Du liebes Aug', Du lieber Stern, Du bist mir nah' und doch so fern. Dies Aug' ist süß und veilchenblau, Drin spiegelt sich der Thräne Thau, Und wenn ich dieses Auge seh', Erfüllt mich Lust, erfüllt mich Weh. Versenken möcht' ich mich hinein Und dieses Auges Apfel sein . . . Du liebes Aug', Du lieber Stern, Du bist mir nah' und doch so fern. Ich forsche nach der Sterne Lauf Und schau' gar oft zum Aug' hinauf; Dies Sternenaug', so hold und süß, Ist meiner Erde Paradies. Gern drückte ich voll Liebeslust Den Augenstern an meine Brust! Du liebes Aug', Du lieber Stern, Du bist mir nah' und doch so fern. Ich grüße Dich, ich küsse Dich Du, Auge, leuchtest nur für mich; Nur mir allein, nur mir allein, Lacht dieses Sternes Silberschein. Ihr seid mein Dioscurenpaar Ich bet' Euch an das ganze Jahr! Du liebes Aug', Du lieber Stern, Du bist mir nah' und doch so fern! Doch schließt einmal dies Auge sich, Dann wird es nie mehr Tag für mich; Wenn jener Stern mir nicht mehr lacht, Dann ist [ewig]1 für mich Nacht; Denn diese beiden Sterne hold Sind Mondenglanz und Sonnengold . . . Du liebes Aug', Du lieber Stern, Du bist mir nah' und doch so fern!
F. Gumbert sets stanzas 1, 2, 5
A. Reichardt sets stanza 1
G. Trehde sets stanzas 1-2
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Eduard Maria Oettinger, Neues Buch der Liebe, Dresden: R. Schaefer's Separat-Conto, 1852, pages 27-28.
1 Gumbert, Reichardt: "es ewig"Text Authorship:
- by Eduard Maria Oettinger (1808 - 1872), "Zwölftes Lied", appears in Neues Buch der Liebe [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 Franz Xaver Chwatal (1808 - 1879), "Ich kenn ein Auge, das so mild", op. 202 (Vier Lieder) no. 1, published 1866 [ men's chorus ], in: Männerchöre (leichte). Heft 23, Schleusingen: Glaser [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ferdinand Gumbert (1818 - 1896), "Du liebes Aug', Du lieber Stern", op. 54 (Fünf Lieder für Sopran oder Tenor) no. 2, published 1853, stanzas 1,2,5 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], Berlin: Schlesinger [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Eduard Hermes (1818 - 1905), "Ich kenn' ein Auge", op. 57, published 1875 [ baritone solo and mixed chorus ], Danzig, Ziemssen [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alexander Reichardt (1825 - 1895), "Ich kenn ein Auge", published 1874, stanza 1 [ soprano or alto and piano ], Wien, Goll [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Gustav Trehde (1828 - 1877), stanzas 1-2 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2011-09-04
Line count: 40
Word count: 252
I know a [pair of] eyes, that, as gently And radiantly as constellation of stars, Looks down upon me beneficently And draws me upward to heaven. There a star stands resplendent, as brightly and purely As the sunshine of those eyes . . . You dear eyes, you dear star, You are near me and yet so distant. These eyes are sweet and violet-blue, Within them the tear's dew is reflected, And when I see these eyes, I am filled with joy, filled with woe. I would like to immerse myself in them And be the apple of this eye . . . You dear eyes, you dear stars, You are near me and yet so distant. I try to discern the path of the star And very often gaze upward to the eye; This star-eye, so lovely and sweet, Is the paradise of my world. Gladly, full of the bliss of love, Would I press to my bosom these shining eyes! You dear eyes, you dear star, You are near me and yet so distant. I greet you, I kiss you, You eyes shine only for me; For me alone, for me alone Smiles the silvery radiance of this star. You are my pair of Dioscuri, I worship you the whole year through! You dear eyes, you dear star, You are near me and yet so distant. But when these eyes close [in death] one day, Then it shall never be day for me again; If that star no longer smiles upon me, Then it is eternal night for me; For these two lovely stars Are the radiance of the moon and the gold of the sun . . . You dear eyes, you dear star, You are near me and yet so distant.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of titles:
"Du liebes Aug', Du lieber Stern" = "You dear eyes, you dear stars"
"Ich kenn ein Auge" = "I know a [pair of] eyes"
"Ich kenn ein Auge, das so mild" = "I know a [pair of] eyes, so gentle"
"Zwölftes Lied" = "Twelfth Song"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2026 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 Eduard Maria Oettinger (1808 - 1872), "Zwölftes Lied", appears in Neues Buch der Liebe
This text was added to the website: 2026-03-01
Line count: 40
Word count: 295