No song must sound more beautifully | No song must sound more beautifully

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by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Kein Lied mag schöner klingen

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Kein Lied mag schöner klingen, 
Als das im Schlummer dir, 
Mein Kind, die Engel singen: 
O könnten's hören wir! 

Doch, eh du kannst im Leben 
Verstehn den süßen Ton, 
Die Engel wieder schweben 
Zurück vor Gottes Thron. 

Nur leise noch hienieden 
Klingt nach der holde Klang, 
Wenn du der Seele Frieden 
Strömst aus im Lobgesang, 

Einst aber hörst du wieder 
Den alten, vollen Ton, 
Wenn du der Kindheit Lieder 
Vernimmst vor Gottes Thron.

Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, page 238.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Kein Lied mag schöner klingen", appears in Liederbuch, in 3. Hauslieder, no. 267 [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 Philipp Tietz (1816 - 1878) [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-02-06
Line count: 16
Word count: 73

No song must sound more beautifully

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

No song must sound more beautifully
Than that which in your slumber,
My child, the angels sing:
Oh, could we but hear it!

But before in life you can 
Understand the sweet sound,
The angels once more waft
Back before the throne of God.

Here below, the lovely sound
Echoes only quietly,
When the peace of your soul
Flows out in songs of praise.

Someday, however, you shall again 
Hear the old, full sound,
When you hear the songs 
Of childhood before the throne of God.

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 Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Kein Lied mag schöner klingen", appears in Liederbuch, in 3. Hauslieder, no. 267
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-06-14
Line count: 16
Word count: 86