In the middle of the shimmer of the reflecting waves | In the middle of the shimmer of the reflecting waves

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by Friedrich Leopold, Graf zu Stolberg-Stolberg (1750 - 1819)

Translation © by Lynn Thompson

Mitten im Schimmer der spiegelnden...

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: CAT DUT DUT ENG ENG FRE FRI ITA POR SPA

Mitten im Schimmer der spiegelnden Wellen
Gleitet, wie Schwäne, der wankende Kahn;
Ach, auf der Freude sanftschimmernden Wellen
Gleitet die Seele dahin wie der Kahn;
Denn von dem Himmel herab auf die Wellen
Tanzet das Abendroth rund um den Kahn.

Ueber den Wipfeln des westlichen Haines
Winket uns freundlich der röthliche Schein;
Unter den Zweigen des östlichen Haines
Säuselt der Kalmus im röthlichen Schein;
Freude des Himmels und Ruhe des Haines
Athmet die Seel' im erröthenden Schein.

Ach, es entschwindet mit thauigem Flügel
Mir auf den wiegenden Wellen die Zeit.
Morgen [entschwinde]¹ mit [schimmerndem]² Flügel
Wieder wie gestern und heute die Zeit,
Bis ich auf höherem strahlenden Flügel
Selber entschwinde der wechselnden Zeit.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• F. Kunzen • F. Schubert

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View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with Gedichte der Brüder Christian und Friedrich Leopold Grafen zu Stolberg. Erster Theil. Wien, 1821. Im Verlage bei J.B. Wallishausser. Hamburg, bei Perthes und Besser, pages 319-320; and with Musen Almanach für 1783 Herausgegeben von Voß und Goeking. Hamburg bei Carl Ernst Bohn, pages 168-169.

¹ Schubert: "entschwindet"
² Stolberg (1821 print): "schimmernden", apparently misprint

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Leopold, Graf zu Stolberg-Stolberg (1750 - 1819), "Lied auf dem Wasser zu singen", subtitle: "Für meine Agnes", written 1782, first published 1783 [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 Anton Diabelli (1781 - 1858), "Lied auf dem Wasser zu singen" [ soprano, csakan, and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Johann Wenzeslaus Kalliwoda (1801 - 1866), "Lied auf dem Wasser zu singen", op. 192 (Sechs Lieder für Sopran oder Tenor mit Pianoforte) no. 4 [ soprano or tenor and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Jan Bedřich Kittl (1806 - 1868), "Lied auf dem Wasser zu singen", op. 4 no. 3 (183-?) [sung text not yet checked]
by Friedrich Ludwig Æmelius Kunzen (1761 - 1817), "Auf dem Wasser zu singen", published 1788 [ voice and piano or harpsichord ], from Weisen und lyrische Gesänge, no. 12, Flensburg und Leipzig: Korten'sche Buchhandlung, also set in Danish (Dansk) [sung text checked 1 time]
by Richard Müller (1830 - 1905), "Auf dem Wasser zu singen", op. 14 (6 Lieder für S., A., T. und B. ) no. 1, published 1862 [ SATB quartet ], Leipzig, Siegel [sung text not yet checked]
by Hermann Nürnberg (1831 - 1894), "Lied auf dem Wasser zu singen", op. 2 (Lieder) no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Auf dem Wasser zu singen", op. 72, D 774 (1823), published 1823 [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in Danish (Dansk), a translation by Knud Lyne Rahbek (1760 - 1830) , "Rovise" ; composed by Friedrich Ludwig Æmelius Kunzen.
- Go to the text.

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

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: 18
Word count: 113

In the middle of the shimmer of the reflecting waves

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

In the middle of the shimmer of the reflecting waves
Glides, as swans do, the wavering boat;
Ah, on joy's soft shimmering waves
Glides the soul along like the boat;
Then from Heaven down onto the waves
Dances the sunset all around the boat.

Over the treetops of the western grove
Waves, in a friendly way, the reddish gleam;
Under the branches of the eastern grove
Murmur the reeds in the reddish light;
Joy of Heaven and the peace of the grove
Is breathed by the soul in the reddening light.

Ah, time  vanishes on dewy wing
for me, on the rocking waves;
Tomorrow, time will vanish with shimmering wings
Again, as yesterday and today,
Until I, on higher more radiant wing,
Myself vanish to the changing time.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 1997 by Lynn Thompson, (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 Friedrich Leopold, Graf zu Stolberg-Stolberg (1750 - 1819), "Lied auf dem Wasser zu singen", subtitle: "Für meine Agnes", written 1782, first published 1783
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 129

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