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Du mein einzig Licht, Die Lilj und Ros hat nicht, Was an Farb und Schein Dir möcht ähnlich sein, Nur daß dein stolzer Mut Der Schönheit unrecht thut. "Trennen wollten wir uns? Wähnten wir es klug und gut? Da wir es thaten, Warum schröckte, wie Mord, Uns die That?" Meine Heimat du, Von [solcher]1 Lust und Ruh Ist der Himmel gar Wie die Erde bar. Nur daß dein strenges Wort Mich [wehrt]2 vom süßen Port. "Ach! Wir kennen uns wenig, Denn es waltet ein Gott in uns." Alle Vöglein hier samt ihrer Melodie jubilierten nicht ohn' der Liebe Pflicht und würden nicht erfreut durch diese Frühlingzeit. Darum Liebster laß uns beid ohn' Unterlaß reden Tag und Nacht von der Liebe Macht. Das schafft dem Herzen Freud, vertreibt mit Lust die Zeit.
J. Brahms sets stanzas 1, 3
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Brahms: "welcher"
2 Brahms: "weht"
Text Authorship:
- sometimes misattributed to Volkslieder (Folksongs)
- by Heinrich Albert (1604 - 1651) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Simon Dach (1605 - 1659) [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897), "Du mein einzig Licht", WoO. 33 no. 37, published [1894], stanzas 1,3, from Deutsche Volkslieder, no. 37, Berlin, N. Simrock [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ludwig Gellert (1827 - 1913), "Du mein einzig Licht", op. 12 (Vier Gesänge für Sopran (oder Tenor) mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1877 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], Frankfurt a/M., Henkel [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Philipp) Friedrich Silcher (1789 - 1860), "Minnelied" [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), adapted by Otto Roquette (1824 - 1896) , "Du mein einzig Licht!", subtitle: "Zu einer Volksmelodie" [an adaptation] ; composed by Anton Deprosse.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (John Glenn Paton) , "You my only light", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Toi mon unique lumière", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 31
Word count: 133
Tu es mon unique lumière, Le lis et la rose n'ont pas Couleur et éclat Pareils aux tiens, Mais ton fier aplomb Ne rend pas justice à ta beauté. « Voulions-nous nous séparer ? Pensions-nous que c'était sage et bien ? Alors nous le fîmes, Pourquoi cette action Nous effraya-t-elle comme un meurtre ? » Tu es mon pays, Dont les plaisir et le repos, Manquent même au ciel Et à la terre. Mais tes sévères paroles Me défendent un doux refuge. « Hélas, nous nous connaissons peu, Car un dieu règne en nous. » Ici tous les petits oiseaux Avec leur mélodies Ne jubileraient pas Sans les soins de l'amour Et ne se réjouiraient pas À la saison du printemps. Alors, mon amour, Tous deux, sans interruption, Parlons jour et nuit De la force de l'amour. Cela met la joie au cœur, Et fait passer le temps avec plaisir.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to French (Français) copyright © 2013 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) from Volkslieder (Folksongs) and by Heinrich Albert (1604 - 1651)
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Simon Dach (1605 - 1659) [text unavailable]
This text was added to the website: 2013-04-21
Line count: 31
Word count: 147