Do you not know the burning desire | Do you not know the burning desire

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possibly by Eduard (Philipp) Devrient (1801 - 1877)

Translation © by Michael P Rosewall

Kennst du nicht das Glutverlangen

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG

Kennst du nicht das Glutverlangen,
Diese Qual und diese Lust?
Die mit Hoffen und mit Bangen
Woget durch die enge Brust?

Siehst du denn nicht, wie ich bebe,
Schein' ich lächelnd auch und kalt,
Wie ich ringe, wie ich strebe
Gegen deine Allgewalt!

Ahnst du nichts von meinen Schmerzen,
Hast du Mitleid nicht für mich?
Spricht im unentweihten Herzen
Keine Stimme denn für mich?

Laß die Qual mich nicht verzehren,
Ach Maria, sei doch mein!
Dir nur will ich angehören,
Ich will ganz dein eigen sein!

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

possibly by Eduard (Philipp) Devrient (1801 - 1877) [author's text not yet checked 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 Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847), "Geständniß", op. 9 (Zwölf Lieder [nos. 7, 10, and 12 are by Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel]) no. 2 [sung text checked 2 times]
by Ernst Otto Nodnagel (1870 - 1909), "Kennst du nicht das Glutverlangen", 1895 [sung text not yet checked]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Bekentenis", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Michael P Rosewall) , "Do you not know the burning desire", copyright © 2011, (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: 16
Word count: 86

Do you not know the burning desire

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Do you not know the burning desire,
This torment and this pleasure
That, with hope and with dread,
Surge through my anxious breast?

Can you not see how I tremble,
Though I appear smiling and cool,
How I writhe, how I struggle
Against your matchless power!

Do you suspect nothing of my pain,
Have you no compassion for me?
Is there, in your insolent heart,
No voice to speak then for me?

Let this agony not consume me,
Ah Maria, be mine indeed!
I want to belong to you alone,
I want to be yours completely!

Mendelssohn's title in English: "Confession"

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2011 by Michael P Rosewall, (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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) possibly by Eduard (Philipp) Devrient (1801 - 1877)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2011-05-02
Line count: 16
Word count: 96