Silent love | I dared not say "I love but thee,"

Translation Singable translation by Isidora Martinez (flourished 1886-1915)

Ich sagte nicht

Language: German (Deutsch)

Ich sagte nicht: "ich liebe Dich,"
Doch eine Rose brach ich scheu,
  Und bot sie Dir 
  Zur Busenzier
Und sah Dir in die Augen treu.

Du sagtest nicht: "ich liebe Dich,"
Doch lächelnd gabst Du mir die Hand;
  Und einen Kuss 
  Zum Überfluss
Als selig machendes Unterpfand!

Wir sagten nicht: "Ich liebe Dich,"
Doch uns're Herzen riefen's laut,
  Als lenzumlauscht 
  Und duftberauscht
Wir still und träumend uns angeschaut.

Text Authorship:

by Eduard Wissman [author's text not yet checked 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 Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867 - 1944), "Ich sagte nicht", op. 51 (Four Songs) no. 1, published c1903 [ voice and piano ], also set in English [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in English, a translation by Isidora Martinez (flourished 1886-1915) ; composed by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2013-03-11
Line count: 15
Word count: 68

Silent love

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

I dared not say "I love but thee,"
I only cull'd a rosebud fair
  At thy behest,
  To deck thy breast,
And silent gaz'd upon it there!

Thou too, of love, wert silent aye;
But smiling laid'st thy hand in mine;
  Then soft a kiss 
  As pledge of bliss,
A seal set on our joy divine!

Our lips of love ne'er spoke a word,
Yet sang each throbbing pulse the song,
  When 'neath the veil 
  Of moonlight pale,
Our dreamy eyes gaz'd deep and long.

Text Authorship:

Singable translation by Isidora Martinez (flourished 1886-1915) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Eduard Wissman
- Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867 - 1944), "Silent love", op. 51 (Four Songs) no. 1, published c1903 [ voice and piano ], also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2013-03-11
Line count: 15
Word count: 85