Du wehrst den guten und den bösen Sternen nicht;
All ihre Launen strömen.
In meiner Stirne schmerzt die Furche,
Die tiefe Krone mit dem düsteren Licht.

Und meine Welt ist still-
Du wehrtest meiner Laune nicht.
Gott, wo bist du?

Ich möchte nah an deinem Herzen lauschen,
Mit deiner fernsten Nähe mich vertauschen,
Wenn goldverklärt in deinem Reich
Aus tausendseligem Licht
Alle die guten und bösen Brunnen rauschen.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Else Lasker-Schüler, Werke und Briefe. Kritische Ausgabe, herausgegeben von Norbert Oellers, Heinze Rölleke und Itta Shedletzky, Band 1 Gedichte, bearbeitet von Karl Jürgen Skrodzki unter Mitarbeit von Norbert Oellers, Frankfurt am Main: Jüdischer Verlag im Suhrkamp Verlag, 1996, page 113 (Gedichte 1906 bis 1913; in this version the poem has no stanzas and the word "rauschen" is repeated at the end) and page 160 (Hebräische Balladen).

Text Authorship:

• by Else Lasker-Schüler (1869 - 1945), "An Gott", appears in Meine Wunder, appears in Hebräische Balladen, no. 5, appears in Gedichte 1906 bis 1913, Verlag der Weißen Bücher Leipzig , first published 1911 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "An Gott", 2012 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Herbert Blendinger (b. 1936), "An Gott", op. 58 no. 1 (c1992), published 1992 [ soprano, baritone, orchestra ], from cantata Kantate: Zuweilen ruft mich eine Stille, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Hans Ebert (1889 - 1952), "An Gott", op. 29 no. 9 (1926-1927), first performed 1928 [ voice and instrumental ensemble ], from Biblische Balladen. Eine Folge von 19 Gesängen für eine Singstimme, Hoboe, Klarinette, Saxophon und Streichquintett, no. 9 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Guido Fuchs (1880 - 1946), "An Gott", 1919 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Hebräische Balladen, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Hermann Große-Schware (b. 1931), "An Gott", 1990 [ mixed chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Thorsten W Hansen (b. 1987), "An Gott", 2012-2013 [ soprano and piano ], from Meine Wunder I. Lieder für Sopran und Klavier, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Wilhelm Keller (1920 - 2008), "An Gott", 1961, first performed 1965 [ mezzo-soprano and organ; or baritone and piano ], from Versöhnung. Zwölf hebräische Balladen, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Rudolf Kornberger (b. 1920), "An Gott", 1966-1993 [ voice and piano ], from Meinwärts. Liederzyklus , no. 23 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Frank Löhr (b. 1971), "An Gott", 1995 [ alto and orchestra ], from Drei Lieder für Alt-Solo und Orchester, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Gilead Mishory (b. 1960), "An Gott", 2001-2002, first performed 2003 [ voice and piano ], from Hebräische Balladen, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Bernhard Rövenstrunck (1920 - 2010), "An Gott", 1944/1959 [ mezzo-soprano, tenor, and piano ], from 20 Hebräische Balladen für Mezzosopran, Tenor und Klavier, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Bernhard Rövenstrunck (1920 - 2010), "Du wehrst den guten und den bösen Sternen nicht", 2000 [ voice and piano ], from Lieder der Seele. Band IV: Dichtungen aus dem 19.-20. Jahrhundert für Gesang und Klavier, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Hans Ludwig Schilling (1927 - 2012), "An Gott", 1964/1969, orchestrated 1991 [ soprano and piano or orchestra ], from Hebräische Balladen, no. 8 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Christian Immo Schneider (b. 1935), "An Gott", 1986/2005 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from 54 Lieder für Mezzosopran und Klavier, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Gil Shohat (b. 1973), "An Gott", 2000, first performed 2002 [ soprano, chorus, orchestra ], from Eine deutsche Symphonie = Symphony No. 5 nach Gedichten von Else Lasker-Schüler for Soprano, Child’s Voice, Choir and Orchestra. »The Portrait of Else Lasker-Schüler«, no. 13 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Friedemann Stolte (b. 1966), "An Gott", 1998 [ four-part mixed chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Sybil Westendorp (1910 - 1999), "An Gott", 1979 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]

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

• ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "À Dieu", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Karl Bellenberg [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2012-11-09
Line count: 12
Word count: 68