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Heiß mich nicht reden, heiß mich schweigen, Denn mein Geheimniß ist mir Pflicht; Ich möchte dir mein ganzes Innre zeigen, Allein das Schicksal will es nicht. [Zur rechten]1 Zeit vertreibt der Sonne Lauf Die finstre Nacht, und sie muß sich erhellen; Der harte Fels schließt seinen Busen auf, Mißgönnt der Erde nicht die tiefverborgnen Quellen. Ein jeder sucht im Arm [des Freundes]2 Ruh, Dort kann die Brust in Klagen sich ergießen; Allein ein Schwur drückt mir die Lippen zu Und nur ein Gott vermag sie aufzuschließen.
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
• J. Duke • J. Reichardt • F. Schubert • F. Schubert • R. Schumann • H. Wolf • K. Zelter • J. ZumsteegAbout the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Goethe's Werke. Vollständige Ausgabe letzter Hand. Zweyter Band. Stuttgart und Tübingen, in der J.G.Cotta'schen Buchhandlung. 1827, page 117; and with Goethe's Werke. Vollständige Ausgabe letzter Hand. Neunzehnter Band. Stuttgart und Tübingen, in der J.G.Cotta'schen Buchhandlung. 1828, page 262.
First published in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre. Ein Roman. Herausgegeben von Goethe. Dritter Band, Berlin. Bei Johann Friedrich Unger. 1795, pages 203-204. The poem appears in Book 5, Chapter 16 of Goethe's novel.
1 Schubert (first setting, D. 726): "Zu rechter"2 Goethe (only in the editions of the poems, not in the novel): "der Freunde"
Text Authorship:
- by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Mignon", written 1782, appears in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre, first published 1795 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Joseph Abenheim (1804 - 1891), "Mignon", op. 72 (Sechs Goethe-Lieder für Mezzo-Sopran (oder Bariton) mit Pianofortebegleitung) no. 3, published 1878 [ mezzo-soprano or baritone and piano ], Stuttgart, Ebner [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Aloys Theodor Commer (1813 - 1887), "Aus Wilhelm Meister", op. 19 (Vier Gesänge für eine Singstimme mit Begleitung des Piano-Forte) no. 2, published 1841 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Bote und Bock [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Woods Duke (1899 - 1984), "Heiß mich nicht reden", 1970 [ soprano and piano ], Southern/Texas [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Zdenko Antonín Václav Fibich (1850 - 1900), "Lied der Mignon (Heiß mich nicht reden)", H. 134 no. 1 (1871), published 1893, first performed 1914, from Aus Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahren, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gustav Flügel (1812 - 1900), "Mignon", op. 3 (Acht Lieder für Sopran, Alt oder Tenor mit Pianoforte) no. 1, published 1842 [ voice and piano ], Stettin, Bulang [sung text not yet checked]
- by Joseph Klein (1802 - 1862), "Mignon", published 1836 [ voice and piano ], from Sechs Gedichte aus Wilhelm Meister's Lehrjahren, von Goethe, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Leopold Lenz (1803 - 1862), "Heiß mich nicht reden", op. 12 no. 5, published 1832 [ low soprano or baritone and piano ], from Mignon der Harfner und Philine ein Cyclus von acht Gesaengen aus "Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre", no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Johann Friedrich Reichardt (1752 - 1814), "Das Geheimnis", published 1795-6 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Bernard Reichel (1901 - 1992), "Heiss mich nicht reden", published 198-? [ voice and piano ], from Lieder-Gedichte von Goethe, no. 1, Monthey : Cantate Domino [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karl Gottlieb Reissiger (1798 - 1859), "Mignons Gesang", op. 79 (Gesänge und Lieder von Förster, Göthe und Pulvermacher für eine Sopran, Mezzo-Sopran, Tenor oder Bariton-Stimme mit Begleitung des Pianoforte) no. 1, published [1832] [ voice and piano ], Leipzig: Bei C. A. Klemm [sung text not yet checked]
- by Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein (1829 - 1894), "Mignon", op. 91 no. 10, from Die Gedichte und das Requiem fur Mignon aus Goethe's "Wilhelm Meister's Lehrjahre", no. 10 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Rudolph , "Heiß mich nicht reden", op. 2 no. 3, published 1899 [ voice and piano ], from Mignon-Lieder von Goethe für 1 Singstimme und Pianoforte, no. 3, Innsbruck, Gross [sung text not yet checked]
- by Malvina Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1825 - 1904), "Heiss' mich nicht reden", published 1880 [ voice and piano ], from Mignon's vier Lieder von Goethe, für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte, no. 2, Berlin, Bote & Bock [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Lied der Mignon", op. 62 (Gesänge aus Wilhelm Meister) no. 2, D 877 no. 2 (1826) [ voice, piano ], from Gesänge aus Wilhelm Meister, no. 2, second setting [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Mignon I", D 726 (1821), published 1870 [ voice, piano ], first setting [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856), "Heiß mich nicht reden, heiß mich schweigen", op. 98a no. 5 (1849), published 1851 [ soprano and piano ], from Lieder und Gesänge aus dem "Wilhelm Meister" von Goethe, no. 5, Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Václav Jan Křtitel Tomášek (1774 - 1850), "Das Geheimniß", op. 58 (Gedichte von Goethe: VI) no. 3 (1815?) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eduard Ritter von Welz (1854 - ?), "Heiss' mich nicht reden", op. 4 (Drei Lieder der Mignon aus Goethe's "Wilhelm Meister" für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1886 [ voice and piano ], Liegnitz, Kaulfuss [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903), "Mignon I", published 1891 [ voice and piano ], from Goethe-Lieder, no. 5, Mainz, Schott [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Karl Friedrich Zelter (1758 - 1832), "Geheimnis", 1811 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Karl Friedrich Zelter (1758 - 1832), "Heiß mich nicht reden, heiß mich schweigen", Z 120 no. 11, published 1796 [ voice and piano ], from 12 Lieder, no. 11, Berlin und Leipzig, Carl August Nicolai [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg (1760 - 1802), "Aus Meister Wilhelms Lehrjahren", published 1805, from Kleine Balladen und Lieder, Heft VII, no. 10 [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Hans Schmidt (1854 - 1923) ; composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Aleksandr Nikolayevich Strugovshchikov (1809 - 1878) , "Не спрашивай" ; composed by Aleksandr Lvovich Gurilyov, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Other 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) , "Doe mij niet spreken, laat mij zwijgen", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Don't ask me to speak", copyright ©
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Ne me dis pas de parler, dis-moi de me taire", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GRE Greek (Ελληνικά) [singable] (Christakis Poumbouris) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Non chiedermi di parlare", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Paolo Montanari) , "Non chiedere ch'io parli", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- NOR Norwegian (Bokmål) (Marianne Beate Kielland) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Thierry Morice , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 86
Don't ask me to speak - ask me to be silent, for my secret is a [solemn] duty to me. I wish I could bare my soul to you, but Fate does not will it. At the right time, the sun's course will dispell the dark night, and it must be illuminated. The hard rock will open its bosom; and ungrudgingly, the earth will release deep hidden springs. Others may seek calm in the arms of a friend; there one can pour out one's heart in lament. But for me alone, a vow locks my lips, And only a god has the power to open them.
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 -- https://www.lieder.net/For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832), "Mignon", written 1782, appears in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre, first published 1795
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 105