Helft mir, ihr Schwestern, 
Freundlich mich schmücken,
Dient der Glücklichen heute mir.
Windet geschäftig
Mir um die Stirne
Noch der blühenden Myrte Zier.

Als ich befriedigt,
Freudigen Herzens,
[Dem]1 Geliebten im Arme lag,
Immer noch rief er,
Sehnsucht im Herzen,
Ungeduldig den [heut'gen]2 Tag.

Helft mir, ihr Schwestern,
Helft mir verscheuchen
Eine thörichte Bangigkeit;
Daß ich mit klarem
Aug' ihn empfange,
Ihn, die Quelle der Freudigkeit.

Bist, mein Geliebter,
Du mir erschienen,
Giebst [du, Sonne, mir]3 deinen Schein?
Laß mich in Andacht,
Laß mich in Demuth,
[Mich]4 verneigen dem Herren mein.

Streuet ihm, Schwestern,
Streuet ihm Blumen,
[Bringt]5 ihm knospende Rosen dar.
Aber euch, Schwestern,
Grüß' ich mit Wehmuth,
Freudig scheidend aus eurer Schaar.

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Gedichte von Adelbert von Chamisso, Neunzehnte Auflage (19th edition), Berlin, Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1869, pages 12-13.

Modernized spelling would change "thörichte" to "törichte", "giebst" to "gibst", "Demuth" to "Demut", "Wehmuth" to "Wehmut", and "Schaar" to "Schar"
¹ Schumann: "Sonst dem"
² Loewe, Schumann: "heutigen"
³ Schumann: "du mir, Sonne,"
⁴ Loewe, Schumann: "Laß mich"
⁵ Schumann: "bringet"

Text Authorship:

• by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838), no title, appears in Lieder und lyrisch epische Gedichte, in Frauen-Liebe und Leben, no. 5 [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 Lorenz Lehmann (1807 - 1852), "Helft mir ihr Schwestern", op. 34 no. 3, published 1837 [ voice and piano ], from Vier Lieder von A. von Chamisso, no. 3, Berlin, Stackebrandt [sung text not yet checked]
• by Carl Loewe (1796 - 1869), "Helft mir, ihr Schwestern", op. 60 no. 5 (1836), from Frauenliebe, Liederkranz von Chamisso, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Helft mir, ihr Schwestern", op. 42 no. 5 (1840), published 1843 [ voice and piano ], from Frauenliebe und -Leben, no. 5, Leipzig, Whistling [sung text checked 1 time]

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Ajudeu-me, germanes", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• CHI Chinese (中文) (Mei Foong Ang) , "幫幫我, 我的姊妹們", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DAN Danish (Dansk) (Maryanna Morthensen) , "Hjælp mig, søstre", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Help mij, mijn zusters", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Daniel Platt) , "Help me, ye sisters", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Kyle Gee) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Vous sœurs, aidez-moi", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• HEB Hebrew (עברית) (Max Mader) (Tsippora Samberg) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Aiutatemi, sorelle", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• NOR Norwegian (Bokmål) (Marianne Beate Kielland) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• RUS Russian (Русский) (Natalia Vyshynska) , "Помогите мне, сёстры", copyright © 2013, (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: 30
Word count: 119

Hjelp meg, mine søstre,
med vennlig å pynte meg,
Tjen meg som i dag er den lykkelige,
Bind travelt
om min panne
smykker av fremdeles blomstrende myrt.

Mens jeg ennå fornøyd,
med et lykkelig hjerte,
lå i armene til min elskede,
kallet han,
med lengsel i hjertet,
utålmodig etter denne dagen.

Hjelp meg, mine søstre,
Hjelp meg å fordrive
en tåpelig engstelse,
slik at jeg med klare
øyne kan ta imot ham,
Ham, alle gleders kilde.

Kommer, min elskede,
du for mine øyne?
Gir du meg, sol, ditt skinn?
La meg i andakt,
La meg i ydmykhet,
Bøye meg for min herre.

Strø for ham, søstre,
Strø blomster for ham,
Bring ham rosenknopper,
Men dere, søstre,
hilser jeg med vemod,
idet jeg lykkelig skilles 
fra deres skare.