by Julius Mosen (1803 - 1867)
Translation by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882)
Als der Heiland litt am Kreuze
Language: German (Deutsch)
Als der Heiland litt am Kreuze, Himmelwärts den Blick gewandt, Fühlt' er heimlich sanftes Zücken An der stahldurchbohrten Hand. Hier von Allen ganz verlassen, Sieht er eifrig mit Bemühn An dem einen starken Nagel Ein barmherzig Vöglein ziehn. Blutbeträuft und ohne Rasten Mit dem Schnabel zart und klein, Möcht' den Heiland es vom Kreuze, Seines Schöpfers Sohn befrein. Und der Heiland spricht in Milde: „Sei gesegnet für und für! Trag' das Zeichen dieser Stunde, Ewig Blut und Kreuzeszier!“ Kreuzesschnabel heißt das Vöglein; Ganz bedeckt von Blut so klar, Singt es tief im Fichtenwalde Märchenhaft und wunderbar.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Sämmtliche Werke von Julius Mosen, Erster Band, Oldenburg, Verlag von Ferdinand Schmidt, 1863, pages 33-34.
Text Authorship:
- by Julius Mosen (1803 - 1867), no title, appears in Gedichte, in Der Kreuzschnabel, no. 3 [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- by Margarete Schweikert (1887 - 1957), "Der Kreuzschnabel" [ voice and piano ], unpublished [sung text not yet checked]
- by Adolf Bernhard Vogel (1847 - 1898), "Als der Heiland litt am Kreuze", op. 38 no. 3, published 1885 [ mixed chorus a cappella ], from Der Kreuzschnabel, von Julius Mosen. Ein Cyklus von drei Liedern für gemischten Chor, no. 3, Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882) , "The legend of the crossbill", from Poems, first published 1845 ; composed by Arthur Hopper, Edwin A. Jones, Le Chevalier Lemmens.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-06-19
Line count: 20
Word count: 96
The legend of the crossbill
Language: English after the German (Deutsch)
On the cross the dying Saviour Heavenward lifts his eyelids calm, Feels, but scarcely feels, a trembling In his pierced and bleeding palm. And by all the world forsaken, Sees he how with zealous care At the ruthless nail of iron A little bird is striving there. Stained with blood and never tiring, With its beak it doth not cease, From the cross 't would free the Saviour, Its Creator's Son release. And the Saviour speaks in mildness: "Blest be thou of all the good! Bear, as token of this moment, Marks of blood and holy rood!" And that bird is called the crossbill; Covered all with blood so clear, In the groves of pine it singeth Songs, like legends, strange to hear.
Text Authorship:
- by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882), "The legend of the crossbill", from Poems, first published 1845 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Julius Mosen (1803 - 1867), no title, appears in Gedichte, in Der Kreuzschnabel, no. 3
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Arthur Hopper , "The legend of the crossbill", published 191-? [voice and piano] [text not verified]
- by Edwin A. Jones , "The legend of the crossbill" [soprano and piano] [text not verified]
- by Le Chevalier Lemmens , "The legend of the crossbill", published 1874. [voice and piano or organ] [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-06-19
Line count: 20
Word count: 124