À l'innocence | Plus belle vertu de l'âme

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

Translation © by Pierre Mathé

Schönste Tugend einer Seele

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: FRE

Schönste Tugend einer Seele,
Reinster Quell der Zärtlichkeit!
Mehr als Biron, als Pamele
Ideal und Seltenheit!
Wenn ein andres Feuer brennet,
Flieht dein zärtlich schwaches Licht;
Dich fühlt nur, wer dich nicht kennet,
Wer dich kennt, der fühlt dich nicht.

Göttin, in dem Paradiese
Lebtest du mit uns vereint;
Noch erscheinst du mancher Wiese
Morgens, eh die Sonne scheint.
Nur der sanfte Dichter siehet
Dich im Nebelkleide ziehn;
Phöbus kömmt, der Nebel fliehet,
Und im Nebel bist du hin.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "An die Unschuld" [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 Bernhard Theodor Breitkopf (1749 - 1820), "An die Unschuld", published 1770 [sung text not yet checked]
by Johann Xaver Sterkel (1750 - 1817), "Unschuld" [ voice and piano ], from Sechs Gedichte von Goethe mit Clavierbegleitung, no. 3, Bonn und Cöln, Nikolaus Simrock [sung text not yet checked]

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

FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "À l'innocence", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2004-08-11
Line count: 16
Word count: 79

À l'innocence

Language: French (Français) after the German (Deutsch)

Plus belle vertu de l'âme,
Plus pure source de tendresse !
Plus que Byron, que Paméla
Idéal et miracle !
Si une autre flamme brûle,
Ta délicate et faible lumière s'enfuit,
Seul te sent celui qui ne te connaît pas,
Celui qui te connaît ne te sent pas.

Déesse au paradis
Tu vivais unie avec nous ;
Tu apparais encore sur mainte prairie,
Le matin, avant que ne brille le soleil.
Seul le tendre poète te voit
Passer dans un habit de brume ;
Phoebus arrive, la brume s'enfuit,
Et dans la brume tu t'en vas.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2012 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), "An die Unschuld"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2012-09-22
Line count: 16
Word count: 92