Leis' rudern hier, 
mein Gondolier! 
Die Flut vom Ruder sprühn so leise 
laß, daß sie uns nur 
vernimmt, zu der wir zieh'n!
O könnte, wie er schauen kann, 
der Himmel reden -- traun,
Er spräche vieles wohl von dem, 
was Nachts die Sterne schau'n!

Nun rasten hier, 
mein Gondolier! 
Ins Boot die Ruder! sacht!
[Auf]1 zum Balkone 
schwing' ich mich, 
doch du hältst unten Wacht,
O, wollten halb so eifrig 
nur dem Himmel wir uns weih'n,
Als schöner Weiber [Dienste]2 -- trau'n, 
wir könnten Engel sein!

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
Note: in Freiligrath's published form, this is a poem of two stanzas with four lines each.
¹ Schumann: "Sacht auf"
² Schumann: "Diensten"

Authorship

• by Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810 - 1876), "Row gently here" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on

• a text in English by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852), "Row gently here", subtitle: "Venetian air", appears in National Airs, first published 1822
  • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

• by Robert Emmerich (1836 - 1891), "Venetianisches Gondellied", op. 21 (Acht Gesänge) no. 8, published 1861 [voice and piano], Frankfurt a/M., Henkel [ sung text not verified ]
• by C. Hruby , "Gondellied", op. 7 (Zwei venezianische Lieder von Thomas Moore), published 1891. [voice and piano] [ sung text not verified ]
• by Adolf Jensen (1837 - 1879), "Leis rudern hier, mein Gondolier", op. 50 no. 4, published 1876 [voice and piano], from Sieben Lieder von Thomas Moore, no. 4, Breslau, Hainauer [ sung text not verified ]
• by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Venetianisches Lied I", op. 25 no. 17 (1840), published 1840 [voice and piano], from Myrten, no. 17, Leipzig, Kistner [ sung text verified 1 time]
• by Alexander Winterberger (1834 - 1914), "Gondelfahrer", op. 10 (20 Gesänge) no. 18, published 1862. [soprano or tenor and piano] [ sung text not verified ]

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Marta Garcia Cadena) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Venetiaans lied I: Zacht roeien hier", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Chant vénitien I", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ITA Italian (Italiano) (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

Text added to the website: 2003-11-19 00:00:00
Last modified: 2016-02-01 14:37:05
Line count: 19
Word count: 84

Zacht roeien hier,
Mijn gondelier!
Je riem moet in het water slaan zo
Zacht, dat zij alleen
Ons hoort naar wie wij gaan!
O kon, wat hij aanschouwen kan
De hemel maar verslaan,
Hij sprak dan vast heel veel van wat
's Nachts sterren gadeslaan!
 
Nu wachten hier,
Mijn gondelier!
Aan boord de riemen! Zacht!
Naar het balkon toe 
zwaai ik mij,
Maar houd jij onder wacht.
O, wilden half zo ijv'rig slechts
Wij voor de hemel 'gaan'
Als 'n mooie vrouw ten dienste staan,
Wij konden eng'len zijn!