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by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
Translation © by Pierre Mathé

April
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  ENG FRE
Augen, sagt mir, sagt, was sagt ihr?
Denn ihr sagt was gar zu Schönes,
Gar des lieblichsten Getönes;
Und in gleichem Sinne fragt ihr!

Doch ich glaub' euch zu erfassen:
Hinter dieser Augen Klarheit
Ruht ein Herz in Lieb' und Wahrheit
Jetzt sich selber überlassen,

Dem es wohl behagen müßte,
Unter so viel stumpfen, blinden,
Endlich einen Blick zu finden,
Der es auch zu schätzen wüßte.

Und indem ich diese Chiffern
Mich versenke zu studieren,
Laßt euch ebenfalls verführen,
Meine Blicke zu entziffern!

Text Authorship:

  • by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "April", appears in Goethe's Werke. Vollständige Ausgabe, letzter Hand, Band III, in 1. Lyrisches [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 Selmar Bagge (1823 - 1896), "April", op. 18 (Sechs Gedichte von Goethe für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1885 [ tenor or soprano and piano ], Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Fanny Hensel (1805 - 1847), "April", 1836 [ vocal duet for soprano and alto with piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Ernst Otto Nodnagel (1870 - 1909), "April", op. 23 no. 3, published 1900 [ voice and piano ], from Scheidegruss. Vier lyrische Recitative für 1 Singstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung, no. 3, Leipzig, Schuberth & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Ernst Pepping (1901 - 1981), "April", 1946, published 1949 [ voice and piano ], from Haus- und Trostbuch, no. 24 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "April", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Avril", 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: 83

Avril
Language: French (Français)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Yeux, dites-moi, dites, que dites-vous ?
Car vous dites quelque chose de bien trop beau,
En des intonations des plus charmantes ;
Et en même temps vous interrogez !

Mais je crois vous comprendre :
Derrière la clarté de ces yeux
Repose un cœur empli d'amour et de vérité,
Maintenant abandonné à lui-même,

Auquel il fallait bien plaire,
Parmi tant d'autres éteints, aveugles,
Trouver enfin un regard
Qui saurait aussi l'aimer.

Et tandis que je suis plongé
Dans l'étude de ce code secret
Laissez-vous également aguicher
En déchiffrant de regard.

Text 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "April", appears in Goethe's Werke. Vollständige Ausgabe, letzter Hand, Band III, in 1. Lyrisches
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2011-07-15
Line count: 16
Word count: 86

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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