Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Was bedeutet die Bewegung? Bringt der [Ost mir]1 frohe Kunde? Seiner Schwingen [frische]2 Regung Kühlt des Herzens tiefe Wunde. Kosend spielt er mit dem Staube, Jagt ihn auf in leichten Wölkchen, Treibt zur sichern [Rebenlaube]3 Der Insecten frohes Völkchen. Lindert sanft der Sonne [Glühen]4, Kühlt auch mir die heißen Wangen, Küßt die Reben noch im [Fliehen]5, Die [auf Feld]6 und Hügel prangen. Und [mir bringt]7 sein leises Flüstern Von dem Freunde [tausend Grüße]8; Eh noch diese Hügel düstern [Grüßen mich wohl tausend Küsse]9. Und [so kannst du weiter ziehen!]10 Diene [Freunden]11 und Betrübten. Dort wo hohe Mauern glühen, [Find' ich bald]12 den Vielgeliebten. Ach, die wahre Herzenskunde, Liebeshauch, [erfrischtes]13 Leben Wird mir nur aus seinem Munde, Kann mir nur sein Athem14 geben.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Goethe's Werke. Vollständige Ausgabe letzter Hand. Fünfter Band. Unter des durchlauchtigsten deutschen Bundes schützenden Privilegien. Stuttgart und Tübingen, in der J. G. Cotta'schen Buchhandlung. 1827, pages 180-181; and with West-oestlicher Divan. von Goethe. Stuttgard, in der Cottaischen Buchhandlung 1819, pages 161-162.
Note: Marianne von Willemer's poem Ostwind was published anonymously with the title Suleika as part of Goethe's West-östlicher Divan, Buch Suleika - Suleika Nameh, with a few textual revisions by Goethe.
1 Willemer's original poem: "Ostwind"2 Arnim: "leise"
3 Arnim: "Rosenlaube"
4 Arnim: "Gluten"
5 Arnim: "Flug"
6 Arnim: "an Busch"
7 Willemer's original poem: "mich soll"
8 Willemer's original poem: "lieblich grüßen"
9 Willemer's original poem: "Sitz ich still zu seinen Füßen"
10 Willemer's original poem: "du magst nun weiterziehen,"
11 Willemer's original poem: "Frohen"
12 Willemer's original poem: "Finde ich"; Schubert: "Dort find' ich bald"
13 Arnim: "verklärtes"
14 modernized, this would be "Atem", but it should be left as "Athem" (an anagram of "Hatem", the beloved Suleika is singing about.)
Text Authorship:
- sometimes misattributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)
- by Marianne von Willemer (1784 - 1860), title 1: "Suleika", title 2: "Ostwind", written 1815, first published 1819 [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 Bettina von Arnim, née Brentano (1785 - 1859), "Suleika" [sung text checked 1 time]
- by (Johann Gottfried) Heinrich Bellermann (1832 - 1903), "Was bedeutet die Bewegung", op. 18 (Sechs Lieder für 1 Stingstimme mit Pianofortebegleitung ) no. 6, published 1871 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Trautwein [sung text not yet checked]
- by Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847), "Suleika", op. 57 no. 3 (1834) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Suleika I", op. 14 (Zwei Lieder) no. 1, D 720 (1821), published 1822 [ voice, piano ], Cappi und Diabelli, VN 1163, Wien [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Artur Seemann (1861 - 1925), "Suleika. An den Ostwind", op. 13 no. 2, published [1919], from Suleika. Sieben Lieder für eine hohe Singstimme mit Klavierbegleitung, no. 2, Leipzig: C. F. Kahnt [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Suleika I: Wat betekent de beweging?", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Richard Morris) , "Suleika", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Daria Siekhaus) , "Suleika", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Suleika", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Questo agitarsi cosa vuol dire?", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (César Vallejo López) , "Suleika", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Richard Morris , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 122
What does the motion mean? Does the East wind bring glad tidings? The refreshing movement of its wings Chills the heart's deep wound. It plays gently with the dust, Chasing it into light clouds. And drives the happy insect people to the security of the vine-leaves. It softly tempers the sun's incandescence, and chills my hot cheeks, As it flees it kisses the vines which are prominent on the fields and hills And its soft whispering brings me A thousand greetings from my friend Before these hills dim, I will be greeted by a thousand kisses. So as you go on your way And serve friends and the saddened. There where high walls glow, I shall soon find my dearly beloved. Oh, the true message of his heart, Loves-breath, refreshing life Comes only from his mouth, Can be given to me only by his breath.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Richard Morris, (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) misattributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832) and by Marianne von Willemer (1784 - 1860), title 1: "Suleika", title 2: "Ostwind", written 1815, first published 1819
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 145