I will never forget you | I will never forget you

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by Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty (1748 - 1776)

Translation © by Emily Ezust

Die Laube

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG FRE

Nimmer werd' ich, nimmer dein vergessen,
Kühle, grüne Dunkelheit,
Wo mein liebes Mädchen oft gesessen,
Und des Frühlings sich gefreut!

Schauer wird durch meine Nerven beben,
Werd' ich deine Blüthen sehn,
Und ihr Bildniß mir entgegen schweben,
Ihre Gottheit mich umwehn!

Thränenvoll werd' ich, beym Mondenlichte,
In der Geisterstunde Graun,
Dir entgegenzittern, und Gesichte
Auf Gesichte werd' ich schaun;

Mich in manchen Göttertraum verirren,
Bis Entzückung mich durchbebt,
Und nach meinem süßen Täubchen girren,
Dessen [Abbild]¹ vor mir schwebt!

Wenn ich auf der Bahn der Tugend wanke,
Weltvergnügen mich bestrickt;
Dann durchglühe mich der Feurgedanke,
Was in dir ich einst erblickt!

Und, als strömt' aus Gottes offnem Himmel
Tugendkraft auf mich herab,
Werd' ich fliehen, und vom Erdgewimmel
Fernen meinen Pilgerstab!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• F. Schubert

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Poetische Blumenlese Auf das Jahr 1775. Göttingen und Gotha bey Johann Christian Dieterich, pages 143-144; with Gedichte von Ludewig Heinrich Christoph Hölty. Nebst Briefen des Dichters herausgegeben von Karl Halm. Leipzig: F.A. Brockhaus, 1869, pages 163-164; and with Gedichte von Ludewig Heinrich Christoph Hölty. Besorgt durch seine Freunde Friederich Leopold Grafen zu Stolberg und Johann Heinrich Voß. Hamburg, bei Carl Ernst Bohn. 1783, pages 165-166.

¹ Misprinted in Voß' editions used by Schubert: "Abschied"

Text Authorship:

by Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty (1748 - 1776), "Die Laube", written 1773, first published 1775 [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 Georg Christoph Grossheim (1764 - 1841), "Die Laube", 1805/6? [sung text not yet checked]
by Johann Wenzeslaus Kalliwoda (1801 - 1866), "Die Laube" [ voice and piano ], from 11 Lieder, no. 10 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Die Laube", op. posth. 172 (Sechs Lieder) no. 2, D 214 (1815), published 1865 [sung text checked 1 time]

Another version of this text exists in the database.

Go to the text. [ view differences ]

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

Research team for this page: Richard Morris , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 122

I will never forget you

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

 I will never forget you, 
 cool, green darkness,
 where my darling maiden often sat,
 delighting in the spring.
 
 A shudder will go through my trembling nerves
 when I see your blossoms
 and her image will float before me,
 her divineness permeating me.
 
 Tearful, by moonlight,
 in the witching hour,
 I will tremble before you, 
 gazing on face after face;
 
 I will lose myself in divine dreams
 until delight overwhelms me
 and I will coo for my sweet dove
 whose parting hangs over me.
 
 If I waver on the path of virtue,
 entranced by worldly pleasures,
 then send through me that fiery ardor
 that I once glimpsed within you.
 
 It is to us as if there flowed from God's open heavens
 the strength of virtue down upon me,
 as if I were flying from the earthly mob,
 far from my pilgrim's staff.

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
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Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Ludwig Heinrich Christoph Hölty (1748 - 1776), "Die Laube", written 1773, first published 1775
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 142