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by Ludwig Gotthard Theobul Kosegarten (1758 - 1818)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Das Finden
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE
Ich hab' ein Mädchen funden
Sanft, edel, deutsch und gut.
Ihr Blick ist mild und glänzend,
Wie Abendsonnengluth,
Ihr Haar wie Sommerweben,
Ihr Auge veilchenblau.
Dem Rosenkelch der Lippen
Entquillt Gesang wie Thau.

Ihr Bau ist hoch und herrlich.
Ihr Wuchs wie tief im Hayn
Der Birke schlanke Schönheit,
Ihr Busen schwanenrein.
Im hohen Schwanenbusen
Klopft ihr ein edel Herz,
Das kennt nicht Zwang noch Launen,
Nicht freche Lust noch Schmerz.

In Dustra's grüner Wildniß,
Am klaren Rinval-Fluß
Wallt einsam und verlohren
Des holden Mädchens Fuß.
Sie schwebt dahin. Ein Kränzchen
Schmückt ihr das Haar. Es schmückt
Ein Strauß den hohen Busen,
Den sie im Thau gepflückt.

Das Mädchen hab' ich funden.
Im keuschen Frühgewand
Ging sie im Duft der Frühe
An Rinvals Blumenrand.
Ein leises Lüftchen ringelt'
Ihr wellenströmend Haar,
Und durch die Erlen hallte
Ihr Liedchen süß und klar.

Ich lag in Kleegedüften
Am blaubeblümten Bach;
Ich bebt' empor und schaute
Dem edeln Mädchen nach.
Verzeuch, verzeuch, du Holde!
Dein Blick ist lieb und gut.
Auch ich bin deutsch und edel,
Ein Jüngling fromm und gut.

Sie wandte sich, sie säumte,
Sie winkte freundlich mir;
Froh ihres Blicks und Winkes,
Flog ich entzückt zu ihr.
Erhaben stand und heilig
Vor mir das hohe Weib.
Ich aber schlang vertraulich
Den Arm um ihren Leib.

Ich hab' das edle Mädchen
An meiner Hand geführt;
Ich bin mit ihr am Staden
Des Bachs hinab spatziert.
Ich hab' sie liebgewonnen.
Ich weiß, sie ist mir gut.
Drum sey mein Lied ihr eigen,
Ihr eigen Gut und Blut.

Confirmed with L.T.Kosegarten's Poesieen, Neueste Auflage, Zweyter Band, Berlin 1803, pages 52-54. This is the source used by Schubert. Kosegarten's poem is different in later editions (see below).

Note: An early version of this poem was published anonymously by Kosegarten in 1778 with the title Hulda; see below.


Text Authorship:

  • by Ludwig Gotthard Theobul Kosegarten (1758 - 1818), "Das Finden" [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 Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Das Finden", D 219 (1815) [sung text checked 1 time]

Another version of this text exists in the database.

    • Go to the text. [ view differences ]

Another version of this text exists in the database.

    • Go to the text. [ view differences ]

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "La troballa", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Het vinden", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "The find", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "La découverte", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 56
Word count: 255

The find
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
I have found a maiden,
gentle, precious, German and good;
her glance is mild and bright
like the glow of the evening sun;
her hair is like summer ,
and her eyes are violet-blue.
From lips like rosy chalices
songs flow like dew.

Her build is tall and majestic.
Her stature is like the beauty 
of the slender birches deep in the forest,
her bosom as pure white as a swan's.
In that lofty swan-bosom
there throbs a fine heart
that knows nothing of obligation or caprice,
nothing of impudent joy or pain.

In the green wilderness of Dustra
by the clear Rinval river,
alone and forlorn,
the feet of the lovely maiden stray.
She wanders about, a wreath
decorating her hair. Adorning
her lofty bosom is a bunch of flowers
she has picked in the dew.

I have found the maiden.
In a chaste morning gown
she walked with the scent of early morning
by Rinval's flowery banks.
A gentle breeze curled
her wavy, flowing hair,
and through the alders
her little song echoed sweet and clear.

I lay among the sweet-smelling clover
by the blue-flowering brook;
I trembled as I gazed after
the noble maiden.
Tarry, tarry, you lovely one!
Your gaze is dear and good.
I am also German and noble,
a lad pious and good.

She turned, she paused,
and beckoned kindly to me;
here gaze and gesture were happy
and I flew to her with delight,
standing sublime and divine
before me was the noble woman.
But I curled my arm confidently
about her body.

I led the noble maiden
by the hand;
I strolled with her by the embankment
of the brook.
I have won her love,
and I know she is well mine,
and therefore let this song be hers
her very own life and property.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust

    Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:

    Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
    from the LiederNet Archive

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
    licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in German (Deutsch) by Ludwig Gotthard Theobul Kosegarten (1758 - 1818), "Das Finden"
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 56
Word count: 303

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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