by Heinrich Hart (1855 - 1906)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Wenn du es wüßtest
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA JPN SPA
Wenn du es wüßtest,
Was träumen heißt von brennenden Küssen,
Von Wandern und Ruhen mit der Geliebten,
Aug in Auge,
Und kosend und plaudernd,
Wenn du es wüßtest,
Du neigtest dein Herz!

Wenn du es wüßtest,
Was bangen heißt in einsamen Nächten,
Umschauert vom Sturm, da niemand tröstet
Milden Mundes die kampfmüde Seele,
Wenn du es wüßtest,
Du [kämst]1 zu mir.

Wenn du es wüßtest,
Was leben heißt, umhaucht von der Gottheit
Weltschaffendem Atem,
Zu schweben empor, lichtgetragen,
Zu seligen [Höhen]2,
Wenn du es wüßtest,
Du lebtest mit mir!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   R. Strauss 

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Strauss: "kämest"
2 Strauss: "Höhn"

Text 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) (Sílvia Pujalte Piñán) , "Cecília", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Caecilia", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Cecily", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Cécile", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Cecilia", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • JPN Japanese (日本語) (Naoyuki Okada) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Elisa Rapado) , copyright © 2018, (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: 20
Word count: 92

Cecily
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
 If you only knew
 what it's like to dream of burning kisses,
 of wandering and resting with one's beloved,
 eye turned to eye,
 and cuddling and chatting -
  if you only knew,
 you would incline your heart to me!

 If you only knew
 what it's like to feel dread on lonely nights,
 surrounded by a raging storm, while no one comforts
 with a mild voice your struggle-weary soul -
 if you only knew,
 you would come to me.

 If you only knew
 what it's like to live, surrounded by God's
 world-creating breath,
 to float up, carried by the light,
 to blessed heights -
 if you only knew,
 then you would live with me!

Text 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

    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: 20
Word count: 111