Schöner und schöner 
Schmückt sich der Plan,
Schmeichelnde Lüfte 
Wehen mich an;

Fort aus der Prosa 
Lasten und Müh'
[Flieg']1 ich zum Lande 
Der Poesie.

Goldner die Sonne, 
Blauer die Luft,
Grüner die Grüne, 
Würz'ger der Duft!

Dort an dem Maishalm, 
Schwellend von Saft,
Sträubt sich der Aloe 
Störrische Kraft!

Ölbaum, Cypresse, 
Blond du, du braun,
Nickt ihr wie zierliche
Grüßende Fraun?

Was glänzt im Laube, 
Funkelnd wie Gold?
Ha, Pomeranze, 
Birgst du dich hold?

Apfel der Schönheit! 
Paris Natur 
Gab dich Neapolis 
Reizender Flur.

Ehrlicher Weinstock,
Nützest nicht bloß, 
Schlingst hier zum Kranze den
Grünenden Schoß.

Überall Schönheit 
Überall Glanz! 
Was bei uns schreitet,
Schwebt hier im Tanz. 

Trotz'ger Poseidon! 
Wärest du dieß,
Der [drunten]2 scherzt und 
Murmelt so süß?

Und dieß, halb Wiese halb 
Äther zu schaun,
Es wär' des Meeres 
Furchtbares Graun?

Hier will ich wohnen! 
Göttliche du,
Bringst du, Parthenope, 
Wogen zur Ruh?

Nun [denn]3 versuch' es, 
Eden der Lust,
Ebne die Wogen 
Auch dieser Brust!

F. Mendelssohn sets stanzas 1-6, 10-13

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Grillparzers Sämmtliche Werke. Vierte Ausgabe in sechzehn Bänden, Erster Band, Stuttgart, Verlag der J. G. Cotta'schen Buchhandlung, 1887, pages 19-21. Beneath the title: "(27. April 1819)"

¹ Mendelssohn: "Zieh'"
² Mendelssohn: "unten"
³ Mendelssohn: "dann"

Text Authorship:

• by Franz (Seraphicus) Grillparzer (1791 - 1872), "Zwischen Gaeta und Capua", written 1819 [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):

[ None yet in the database ]

The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:

• misattributed to Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847) and by Fanny Hensel (1805 - 1847), "Italien", op. 8 (Zwölf Gesänge [note: this is Felix Mendelssohn's opus, in which three songs were composed by Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel]) no. 3 (<<1825), note: this was first published under Felix Mendelssohn's name
  • View the full text. [sung text checked 1 time]
    

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Entre Gaeta i Càpua", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Emily Ezust) , no title, copyright ©
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , 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: 52
Word count: 163

Fairer and fairer 
the plain becomes,
as caressing breezes 
blow on me!

Away from the burden 
and trouble of prose,
I go forth into 
the land of Poetry.

More golden the sun, 
more blue the air,
More green the green, 
more aromatic the scents!

There on the corngrass, 
swelling with sap,
the aloe bristles 
with stubborn strength;

Olive, Cypress, 
one light and one dark,
are you nodding like dainty, 
greeting women?

What is gleaming in the leaves, 
glittering like gold?
Ha! Oranges, 
are you lovely ones hiding there?

[...
...
...
...]

[...
...
...
...]

[...
...
...
...]

Defiant Poseidon, 
was it you,
jesting and 
murmuring down there so sweetly?

And this, seeming 
half meadow, half ether,
was that fearful horror 
of the sea?

Here I would live, 
Godly one:
Parthenope, can you bring 
peace to the waves?

Now try it then, 
Eden of Joy,
and ease as well the waves 
in this breast!