Liebes Mädchen! sahst du nicht, wie gestern
Ich auf hohem Berge lang gelegen,
Blickend auf das weiße Kreuz im Tale,
Das die Flügel deines Fensters bilden!

Glaubt' ich schon, du kämst durchs Tal gewandelt,
Sprang ich auf, da war's ein weißes Blümlein,
Das sich täuschend mir vors Auge stellte.

Lange harrt' ich, aber endlich breiten
Auseinander sich des Fensters Flügel,
Und an seinem weißen Kreuze stehst du,
Berg und Tal ein stiller Friedensengel.

Vöglein ziehen nah an dir vorüber,
Täublein sitzen auf dem nahen Dache,
Kommt der Mond, und kommen alle Sterne,
Blicken all dir keck ins blaue Auge.

Steh' ich einsam, [einsam]1 in der Ferne,
Habe keine Flügel hinzufliegen,
Habe keine Strahlen hinzusenden,
Steh' ich einsam, [einsam]1 in der Ferne!

Gehst du, sprech' ich mit verhaltnen Tränen:
"Ruhet süß, ihr lieben, lieben Augen!
Ruhet süß, ihr weißen, weißen Lilgen!
Ruhet süß, ihr lieben, lieben Hände!"

[Sprachen's nach die Sterne an dem Himmel,
Sprachen's nach die Blumen in dem Tale.]2
Weh! o weh! du hast es nicht vernommen!

R. Schumann sets stanzas 3-7

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
Confirmed with Kerners Werke, Zweiter Teil, Gedichte, herausgegeben von Raimund Pissin, Berlin, Leipzig, Wien, Stuttgart: Deutsches Verlagshus Bong & Co., page 36

¹ omitted by Schumann.
² Schumann: "Sprechen's nach die Stern' am Himmel/ Sprechen's nach des Tales Blumen,"

Authorship:

• by Justinus (Andreas Christian) Kerner (1786 - 1862), "Andreas an Anna", appears in Gedichte, in Die lyrischen Gedichte, in Episteln, no. 1 [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 Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "An Anna I", 1827-28, stanzas 3-7 [ voice and piano ], from Elf Jugendlieder, no. 4, note: published as "op. posth. 21", no. 6, in 1933, Wien (Vienna), Universal Edition [sung text checked 1 time]

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

• CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Aan Anna I", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "To Anna I", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
• FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "À Anna I", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 26
Word count: 168

Dear maiden! did you not see how yesterday
I lay a long time upon the high mountain,
Gazing upon the white cross in the valley
That is formed by the shutters of your window!

I already believed that you were coming through the valley,
I leapt up, but it was only a white little flower
That appeared before my eyes and misled me.

I waited a long time, but finally
The shutters of your window open,
And at their white cross you stand,
An angel of peace to the mountain and the valley.

Little birds pass closely by you,
Little doves sit upon the roof nearby,
The moon comes, and all the stars come,
They all gaze boldly into your blue eyes.

I stand alone, alone in the distance,
I have no wings with which to fly thither,
I have no rays [of light] to send there,
I stand alone, alone in the distance!

When you go, I speak with restrained tears:
"Rest sweetly, you dear, dear eyes!
Rest sweetly, you white, white lilies!
Rest sweetly, you dear, dear, hands!"

The stars in the sky repeated it after me,
The flowers in the valley repeated it after me,
Woe! oh woe! You did not hear it!