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by Karl Johann Philipp Spitta (1801 - 1859)
Translation © by Sharon Krebs
Es zieht ein stiller Engel
Language: German (Deutsch)
Our translations: ENG
Es zieht ein stiller Engel Durch dieses Erdenland, Zum Trost für Erdenmängel Hat ihn der Herr gesandt. In seinem Blick ist Frieden Und milde, sanfte Huld, O folg' ihm stets hienieden, Dem Engel der Geduld! Er führt dich immer treulich [Durch alles Erdenleid]1, Und redet so erfreulich Von einer schönern Zeit. Denn willst du ganz verzagen, Hat er doch guten Muth; Er hilft das Kreuz dir tragen, Und macht noch Alles gut. Er macht zu linder Wehmuth Den herbsten Seelenschmerz, Und taucht in stille Demuth Das ungestüme Herz. Er macht die finstre Stunde Allmählich wieder hell, Er heilet jede Wunde Gewiß, wenn auch nicht schnell. Er zürnt nicht deinen Thränen, Wenn er dich trösten will; Er tadelt nicht dein Sehnen, Nur macht er's fromm und still. Und wenn in [Sturmestoben]2 Du murrend fragst: warum? [So]3 deutet er nach oben, Mild lächelnd, aber stumm. Er hat für jede Frage Nicht Antwort gleich bereit, Sein Wahlspruch heißt ertrage, Die Ruhstatt ist nicht weit! So geht er dir zur Seite, Und redet gar nicht viel, Und denkt nur in die Weite, An's schöne, große Ziel.
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
• C. Greith • K. Hering • J. Hübner • H. Proch • B. Randhartinger • G. RaucheneckerC. Greith sets stanzas 1-2
B. Randhartinger sets stanzas 1, 3
H. Proch sets stanzas 1, 3, 2, 4
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotesConfirmed with Album der neuern deutschen Lyrik, Zweiter Theil, Zweite Auflage, Leipzig: F.A. Brockhaus, 1856, pages 274-275.
1 Proch: "Auch durch das schwerste Leid"2 Proch: "Sturm und Toben"
3 Proch: "Dann"
Text Authorship:
- by Karl Johann Philipp Spitta (1801 - 1859), "Geduld" [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 Carl Attenhofer (1837 - 1914), "Geduld", published 1899 [ sa chorus and piano ], from Für Schule und Haus. Mädchenlieder. Zweite Folge., no. 2, Leipzig: Hug & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gustav Flügel (1812 - 1900), "Geduld", op. 3 (Acht Lieder für Sopran, Alt oder Tenor mit Pianoforte) no. 8, published 1842 [ voice and piano ], Stettin, Bulang [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Emil Franz) Carl Greith (1828 - 1887), "Engel der Geduld", op. 41 (Acht Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung (No. 1 des Nachlasses) ) no. 8, published 1888, stanzas 1-2 [ voice and piano ], München, Aibl.; note: the score attributes the text to 'Zenner' [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Karl Eduard Hering (1807 - 1879), "Geduld", op. 24 (Zehn Lieder) no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ludwig Hoffmann (1830 - 1870), "Geduld", op. 25 (Sechs geistliche Lieder für gemischten Chor) no. 2, published 1881 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], Berlin, Bahn [sung text not yet checked]
- by J. G. Hübner , "Der Engel der Geduld" [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Heinrich Proch (1809 - 1878), "Der Engel der Geduld", op. 71, published 1840, stanzas 1,3,2,4 [ voice and piano ], Wien, Diabelli und Co. [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Benedikt Randhartinger (1802 - 1893), "Der Engel der Geduld", stanzas 1,3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Georg Wilhelm Rauchenecker (1844 - 1906), "Geduld", 1900 [ three-part women's chorus ] [sung text checked 1 time]
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: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2007-12-06
Line count: 40
Word count: 186
A quiet angel travels
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
Add this translation to the Basket | Add tr by C. Greith | Add tr by H. Proch | Add tr by B. Randhartinger
A quiet angel travels Through this earthly land, The Lord has sent him as a comfort For the deficiencies of the earth. Peace is in his gaze, And gentle, soft benevolence; Oh, follow him ever here below, The angel of patience! He ever leads you faithfully [Through all earthly suffering]1, And speaks so encouragingly Of a better time [to come]. For even if you are near to utter despair, He is full of good cheer; He helps you bear your cross And leads everything to a good end. He transforms the most bitter pain Of your soul into gentle melancholy, And immerses your unruly heart In quiet humility. Little by little he makes The dark hour bright again, He heals every wound Surely, even if not quickly. He is not angry about your tears When he wishes to comfort you; He does not reproach your yearning, He only makes it pious and still. And when in [the roaring of the storm]2 You grumblingly ask: why? He then points upward, Mutely, but smiling gently. He does not immediately have An answer ready for every question, His watchword is: endure, The resting-place is not far! Thus he walks beside you, And does not speak very much, And thinks only of what is distant, Of the beautiful, great goal.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotesTranslations of titles:
"Der Engel der Geduld" = "The angel of patience"
"Engel der Geduld" = "Angel of patience"
"Geduld" = "Patience"
2 Proch: "storm and raging"
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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Karl Johann Philipp Spitta (1801 - 1859), "Geduld"
This text was added to the website: 2026-10-19
Line count: 40
Word count: 219