by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Versunken
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Available translation(s): CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA
Voll Locken kraus ein Haupt so rund! -
Und darf ich dann in solchen reichen Haaren
Mit vollen Händen hin und [wieder]1 fahren,
Da fühl' ich mich von Herzensgrund gesund.
Und küß ich Stirne, Bogen, Auge, Mund,
Dann bin ich frisch und immer wieder wund.
Der fünfgezackte Kamm wo [sollt']2 er stocken?
Er kehrt schon wieder zu den Locken.
Das Ohr versagt sich nicht dem Spiel,
[Hier ist nicht Fleisch, hier ist nicht Haut,]3
So zart zum Scherz, so liebeviel!
Doch wie man auf dem Köpfchen kraut,
Man wird in solchen reichen Haaren
Für ewig auf und nieder fahren.
[So hast du, Hafis, auch gethan,
Wir fangen es von vornen an.]3

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Goethe's Werke. Vollständige Ausgabe letzter Hand. Fünfter Band. Unter des durchlauchtigsten deutschen Bundes schützenden Privilegien. Stuttgart und Tübingen, in der J. G. Cotta'schen Buchhandlung. 1827, page 52; and with West-oestlicher Divan. von Goethe. Stuttgard, in der Cottaischen Buchhandlung 1819, page 52.

1 in modern spelling "wider" (see note)
2 Schubert: "soll"
3 omitted by Schubert.

Note: "hin und wieder" in line 3 is Goethe's spelling of "hin und wider". In modern spelling "hin und wieder" means "once in a while", while "hin und wider" means "to and fro".


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) , "Absort", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "In gedachten verzonken", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Absorbed", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Englouti", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Paolo Pupillo) (Claretta Manara) , "Sprofondato", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 111

Absorbed
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Full, curly locks cover a head so round!
If I could gather this abundant hair
in my hands, and move it to and fro,
I would feel good from the depths of my soul.
And if I kiss this forehead, eyebrows, eyes, and mouth,
I am freshly wounded, forever again.
The five-toothed comb - where shall it stop?
It returns already to your curls.
The ear cannot stop from playing the game,
[Here it is neither flesh nor skin,]
so tenderly it jests, so full of love;
but as one fondles this little head,
he will, with such abundant hair,
move it to and fro forever,
these curly locks covering a head so round!

Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust

    Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:

    Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
    from the LiederNet Archive -- https://www.lieder.net/

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.


Based on:

 

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 15
Word count: 114