Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Wenn ich, o Kindlein, vor dir stehe, Wenn ich im Traum dich lächeln sehe, Wenn du erglühst so wunderbar, Da ahne ich mit süßem Grauen: Dürft' ich in deine Träume schauen, So wär' mir alles, alles klar. Dir ist die Erde noch verschlossen, Du hast noch keine Lust genossen, Noch ist kein Glück, was du empfindest; Wie könntest du so süß denn träumen, Wenn du nicht noch in jenen Räumen, Woher du kamest, dich ergingst ?1
1 Cornelius next repeats the first stanza, with the first line replaced ith "Drum wenn, o Kind, ich vor dir stehe"
Authorship
- by (Christian) Friedrich Hebbel (1813 - 1863), "Auf ein schlummerndes Kind" [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 Peter Cornelius (1824 - 1874), "Auf ein schlummerndes Kind", op. 5 (6 Lieder) no. 2 (1861). [text verified 1 time]
- by Robert Kahn (1865 - 1951), "Auf ein Schlummerndes Kind", op. 22 (Acht Lieder) no. 7 (1895), published 1895. [voice and piano] [text not verified]
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (John H. Campbell) , title 1: "To a sleeping child", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , title 1: "Sur un enfant assoupi", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: John H. Campbell
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 76
Ô petit enfant, lorsque je me tiens devant toi, Lorsque je te vois sourire dans tes rêves, Lorsque tu rayonnes si merveilleusement, Alors je pressens, avec un doux effroi, Que si je pouvais entrer dans tes rêves, Pour moi tout deviendrait clair. Pour toi la Terre est encore fermée, Tu n'as encore pas connu le plaisir Et ce n'est pas encore le bonheur que tu ressens. Alors comment peux-tu rêver si doucement Quand dans ces espaces d'où tu viens Tu ne t'es encore pas promené ?
Authorship
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2011 by Pierre Mathé, (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:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by (Christian) Friedrich Hebbel (1813 - 1863), "Auf ein schlummerndes Kind"
This text was added to the website: 2011-03-29
Line count: 12
Word count: 86