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by (Christian) Wilhelm von Schütz (1776 - 1847)
Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Ach was soll ich beginnen
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE
Ach was soll ich beginnen
Vor Liebe?
Ach, wie sie innig durchdringet
Mein Innres!
Siehe, Jüngling, das Kleinste
Vom Scheitel
Bis zur Sohl', ist dir einzig
Geweihet.
O Blumen! Blumen! verwelket,
Euch pfleget
Nur, bis sie Lieb' erkennet,
Die Seele.
Nichts will ich thun, wissen und haben,
Gedanken
Der Liebe, die mächtig mich [faßte]1,
Nur tragen.
Immer sinn' ich, was ich aus Inbrunst
Wohl könne thun,
Doch zu sehr hält mich Liebe im Druck,
Nichts läßt sie zu.
Jetzt, da ich liebe, [mögt']2 ich erst leben,
Und sterbe.
Jetzt, da ich liebe, [mögt']2 ich [hell]3 brennen,
Und welke.
Wozu auch Blumen reihen und wässern?
Entblättert!
So sieht, wie [mich Liebe]4 entkräftet,
Sein Spähen.
Der Rose Wange will bleichen,
Auch meine.
Ihr Schmuck zerfällt, wie verscheinen
Die Kleider.
Ach Jüngling, da du mich erfreuest
[Durch]5 Treue,
Wie kann mich mit Schmerz so bestreuen
Die Freude?

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   F. Schubert 

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Lacrimas, ein Schauspiel. Herausgegeben von August Wilhelm Schlegel. Berlin, Im Verlage der Realschulbuchhandlung. 1803, pages 118-119.

The text appears in Lacrimas, vierter Aufzug, zweyte Szene (Lied der Delphine).

1 Schubert: "fassen"
2 Schubert: "möcht'"
3 Schubert: "erst"
4 Schubert: "Liebe mich"
5 Schubert: "Mit"

Text Authorship:

  • by (Christian) Wilhelm von Schütz (1776 - 1847), no title, appears in Lacrimas, first published 1803 [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 Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Lied der Delphine", op. posth. 124 no. 1, D 857 no. 1 (1825), published 1829 [ voice, piano ], from Zwei Szenen aus dem Schauspiel Lacrimas, no. 1, A. Pennauer, VN 453, Wien [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Cançó de Delfina", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Lawrence Snyder) (Rebecca Plack) , no title, copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 36
Word count: 151

Ah, comment dois‑je commencer
Language: French (Français)  after the German (Deutsch) 
Ah, comment dois-je commencer
Pour l'amour ?
Ah, comme il pénètre profondément
Mon être !
Regarde, jeune homme, la plus petite partie de moi
Depuis la tête
Jusqu'à la plante de mes pieds est à toi seul
Dédiée.
Ô fleurs ! Fleurs ! fanées,
Elle prend soin de vous,
Seulement jusqu'à ce qu'elle connaisse l'amour,
L'âme.
Je ne veux rien faire, savoir, avoir,
Avoir des pensées
D'amour, qui me saisissent avec force,
Seulement.
Je suis toujours en train de penser à ce que dans mon ardeur
Je pourrais faire,
Mais l'amour me tient trop fort,
Il ne me laisse rien faire.
Maintenant que j'aime, je voudrais d'abord vivre
Puis mourir.
Maintenant que j'aime, je voudrais brûler avec éclat
Puis me faner.
À quoi bon planter et arroser les fleurs ?
Elle perdent leurs feuilles !
Ainsi il voit comment l'amour m'affaiblit,
Avec ses yeux.
La joue de la rose blêmit,
La mienne aussi.
Ses charmes tombent en ruine, comme des habits
Déchirés.
Ah, jeune homme, puisque tu me fais plaisir
Avec ta fidélité,
Comment de douleur peut-elle me remplir
Cette joie ?

About the headline (FAQ)

Translation of title "Lied der Delphine" = "Chant de Delphine"

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2011 by Guy Laffaille, (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 (Christian) Wilhelm von Schütz (1776 - 1847), no title, appears in Lacrimas, first published 1803
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2011-09-06
Line count: 36
Word count: 175

Gentle Reminder

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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