Wenige wissen Das Geheimniß der Liebe, Fühlen Unersättlichkeit Und ewigen Durst. Des Abendmahls Göttliche Bedeutung Ist den irdischen Sinnen Räthsel; Aber wer jemals Von heißen, geliebten Lippen Athem des Lebens sog, Wem heilige Glut In zitternde Wellen das Herz schmolz, Wem das Auge aufging, Daß er des Himmels Unergründliche Tiefe maß, Wird essen von seinem Leibe Und trinken von seinem Blute [Ewiglich]1. Wer hat des irdischen Leibes Hohen Sinn errathen? [Wer kann sagen, Daß er das Blut versteht? Einst ist alles Leib, Ein Leib, In himmlischem Blute Schwimmt das selige Paar. -]2 [O! daß das Weltmeer Schon erröthete, Und in duftiges Fleisch Aufquölle der Fels!]2 Nie endet das süße Mahl, Nie sättigt die Liebe sich. Nicht innig, nicht eigen genug Kann sie haben den Geliebten. Von immer zärteren Lippen Verwandelt wird das Genossene Inniglicher und näher. Heißere Wollust Durchbebt die Seele, Durstiger und hungriger Wird das Herz: Und so [währet]3 der Liebe Genuß Von Ewigkeit zu Ewigkeit. [Hätten die Nüchternen]4 [Einmal gekostet,]5 [Alles verließen sie, Und setzten sich zu uns An den Tisch der Sehnsucht, Der nie leer wird.]4 [Sie erkennten der Liebe]6 [Unendliche Fülle, Und priesen die Nahrung Von Leib und Blut.]4
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View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Novalis Schriften. Herausgegeben von Friedrich Schlegel und Ludwig Tieck. Zweiter Theil. Berlin, 1802. In der Buchhandlung der Realschule, pages 138-140; with Novalis Schriften. Herausgegeben von Ludwig Tieck und Fr. Schlegel. Dritte Auflage. Zweiter Theil. Berlin, 1815. In der Realschulbuchhandlung, pages 29-31; and with Novalis Schriften. Kritische Neuausgabe auf Grund des handschriftlichen Nachlasses von Ernst Heilborn. Erster Theil. 1901. Druck und Verlag von Georg Reimer Berlin, pages 342-343.
First published in Musen-Almanach für das Jahr 1802. Herausgegeben von A. W. Schlegel und L. Tieck. Tübingen, in der Cotta'schen Buchhandlung, 1802, pages 202-204.
1 Schubert: "Ewig, ewiglich"2 omitted by Diepenbrock
3 Schubert: "währt"
4 omitted by A. Mahler
5 Schubert: "Einmal nur gekostet,"; omitted by A. Mahler
6 Schubert (Neue Gesamtausgabe): "Und erkennten der Liebe"; omitted by A. Mahler
Authorship:
- by Friedrich von Hardenberg (1772 - 1801), as Novalis, "Hymne", written 1799-1800, appears in Geistliche Lieder, no. 7, first published 1802 [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 Alphons Diepenbrock (1862 - 1921), "Hymne", alternate title: "Abendmahlshymne", RC. 47 (1898), orchestrated 1902 [ soprano or tenor and organ ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Alma Mahler (1879 - 1964), "Hymne", published 1924 [ voice and piano or orchestra ], from Fünf Gesänge, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828), "Hymne I", D 659 (1819), published 1872 [ voice, piano ], J. P. Gotthard, VN 361, Wien [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Linda Godry) , copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (George MacDonald) , "Spiritual Songs, number 7", appears in Rampolli: Growths from a Long Planted Root. Being Translations, New and Old, Chiefly from the German, first published 1897
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
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: 53
Word count: 193
Few understand the mystery of Love, Know insatiableness, and thirst eternal. Of the Last Supper the divine meaning Is to the earthly senses a riddle; But he that ever from warm, beloved lips Drew breath of life; In whom the holy glow Ever melted the heart in trembling waves; Whose eye ever opened so as to fathom The bottomless deeps of heaven -- Will eat of his body and drink of his blood everlastingly. Who of the earthly body Has divined the lofty sense? Who can say that he understands the blood? One day all is body, One body: In heavenly blood swims the blissful two. Oh that the ocean were even now flushing! And in odorous flesh the rock were upswelling! Never endeth the sweet repast; Never doth Love satisfy itself; Never close enough, never enough its own, Can it have the beloved! By ever tenderer lips transformed, The Partaken goes deeper, grows nearer. Pleasure more ardent thrills through the soul; Thirstier and hungrier becomes the heart; And so endureth Love's delight From everlasting to everlasting. Had the refraining tasted but once, All had they left To set themselves down with us To the table of longing which will never be bare; Then had they known Love's infinite fullness, And commended the sustenance of body and blood.
Authorship:
- by George MacDonald (1824 - 1905), "Spiritual Songs, number 7", appears in Rampolli: Growths from a Long Planted Root. Being Translations, New and Old, Chiefly from the German, first published 1897 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich von Hardenberg (1772 - 1801), as Novalis, "Hymne", written 1799-1800, appears in Geistliche Lieder, no. 7, first published 1802
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this page: Melanie Trumbull
This text was added to the website: 2014-08-16
Line count: 35
Word count: 217