by Friedrich Rückert (1788 - 1866)
Translation © by Lau Kanen

Der Himmel hat eine Thräne geweint
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Available translation(s): CAT DUT ENG FRE HUN ITA SPA
Der Himmel hat eine Thräne geweint,
Die hat sich in's Meer [zu verlieren]1 gemeint.
Die Muschel kam und schloß sie ein:
Du sollst nun meine Perle sein.
Du sollst nicht vor den Wogen zagen,
Ich will hindurch dich ruhig tragen.
O du mein Schmerz, du meine Lust,
Du Himmelsthrän' in meiner Brust!
Gieb, Himmel, daß ich in reinem Gemüthe
Den reinsten deiner Tropfen hüte.

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View original text (without footnotes)

Note: modern German spelling would use "Träne" instead of "Thräne", "Gib" instead of "Gieb", and "Gemüte" instead of "Gemüthe".

Confirmed with Deutsche Lyrik, Selected and Arranged with Notes and a Literary Introduction by C.A. Buchheim, London: MacMillan & Co., 1875, page 165.

1 Schumann: "verlieren"

Authorship:

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

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in English, a translation by Emily Ezust (b. 1972) , "Heaven has shed a tear", copyright © 2002, (re)printed on this website with kind permission ; composed by Bruce Adolphe.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "De hemel had eens een traantje geschreid", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le ciel a versé une larme", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • HUN Hungarian (Magyar) (Tamás Rédey) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Il cielo ha versato una lacrima", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Elisa Rapado) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 10
Word count: 64

De hemel had eens een traantje geschreid
Language: Dutch (Nederlands)  after the German (Deutsch) 
De hemel had eens een traantje geschreid,
Dat was tot in zee zich verliezen1 geneigd.
De mossel kwam en sloot haar in:
Jij bent de parel die 'k bemin.
Je kunt je in de golven wagen,
Ik zal je rustig daar door dragen.
O jij mijn lust, o jij mijn smart,
Jij hemeltraan hier in mijn hart!
Geef, hemel, dat ik rein van gemoede
De reinste van je druppels hoede.

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Bij Schumann: teloorgaan i.p.v. zich verliezen

Authorship:

  • Singable translation from German (Deutsch) to Dutch (Nederlands) copyright © 2012 by Lau Kanen, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., please ask the copyright-holder(s) directly.

    Lau Kanen.  Contact: boudewijnkanen (AT) gmail (DOT) com


    If the copyright-holder(s) are unreachable for three business days, please write to:


Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2012-08-13
Line count: 10
Word count: 70