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Wohl weinen Gottes Engel, Wenn Liebende sich trennen. Wie werd' ich leben können, Geliebter, ohne dich? Gestorben allen Freuden Leb' ich fortan den Leiden, Und nimmer, Jüngling, nimmer Vergißt Luisa dich! Wie könnt' ich dein vergessen? Vergessen deines Blickens, Voll feurigen Entzückens, Voll sanften Flehns an mich? In meines Kummers Dunkel Strahlt mir's wie Sternenfunkel. Geliebter, nimmer, nimmer Vergißt Luisa dich! Wie könnt' ich dein vergessen? Des [Schimmers]1 deiner Wangen, Geröthet von Verlangen, Von Inbrunst naß um mich; So naß von heißen Thränen, So heiß von bangem Sehnen -? Geliebter, nimmer, nimmer, Vergißt Luisa dich! Wie könnt' ich dein vergessen? Vergessen hie und dorten Nur Eins von tausend Worten, Die du gesagt an mich? Sie schweben um mich alle, Wie Paradieseshalle. Geliebter, nimmer, nimmer Vergißt Luisa dich! Wie könnt' ich dein vergessen? Vergessen jenes Klanges, So manches Wehgesanges, Von dir geklagt um mich? Ach, ewig ewig klingt es In meinen Ohren, singt es In meinem Herzen. - Nimmer Vergißt Luisa dich! Wie könnt' ich dein vergessen? Vergessen deiner Briefe, Voll treuer reiner Liebe, Voll Grämens, ach, um mich! Ich will sie ewig hegen, In meinen Sarg sie legen. Geliebter, nimmer, nimmer Vergißt Luisa dich! Wie könnt' ich dein vergessen, Vergessen deiner Küsse? Wie jähe Flammengüsse Durchloderten sie mich! Auf meinen Lippen glüh'n sie, In meinen Adern sprüh'n sie! Geliebter, nimmer, nimmer Vergißt Luisa dich! Wie könnt' ich dein vergessen? Vergessen jener Stunden, Wo ich von dir umwunden, Geschmiegt so dicht an dich, An deine Brust mich lehnte, Ganz dein zu seyn, mich sehnte? Geliebter, nimmer! nimmer, Vergißt Luisa dich! Wie könnt' ich dein vergessen? Vergessen jener Fragen, Die du in schönern Tagen So oft gefragt an mich! "Luisa, bist du Meine?" Ja, Jüngling, ja die deine Bin ich auf ewig! - Nimmer Vergißt Luisa dich! Wie könnt' ich dein vergessen? Vergessen jener Wonnen, Die, ach! so schnell verronnen, Mein Herz gefüht um dich! So bang', so süß, so irre, So wähnend und so wirre Durchzuckten sie mich. - Nimmer Vergißt Luisa dich! Wie könnt' ich dein vergessen? Vergessen jener Schmerzen, Die ich in meinem Herzen Um dich gefühlt, um dich! Was ich um dich gelitten, Was ich um dich gestritten, Sollt' ich vergesse? - Nimmer Vergißt Luisa dich! Ich kann dich nicht vergessen. Auf jedem meiner Schritte, In meiner Lieben Mitte Umschwebt dein Bildniß mich! Auf meiner Leinwand schimmerts, An meinem Vorhang flimmerts. Geliebter, nimmer, nimmer Vergißt Luisa dich! Ich kann dich nicht vergessen. Mit jedem goldnen Morgen Erwacht mein zärtlich Sorgen, Mein Seufzen, ach, um dich! "Wo weilst du izt, du Einer? Was denkst du izt, du Meiner? Denkst du auch an Luisen? Luisa denkt an dich!" Ich kann dich nicht vergessen. Des Nachts auf meinem Bette Gemahnt mich's oft, als hätte Mein Arm umschlungen dich! Des Wächters [Stimme]2 weckt mich. Ein jähling Rauschen schreckt mich. Allein bin ich im Dunkel, Und weine still um dich. Ich kann dich nicht vergessen. Nicht fremde Huldigungen, Nicht Skalvenanbetungen, O Freund, verdrängen dich! Luisa liebt nur Einen, Nur Einen kann sie meinen, Nur Einen nie vergessen, Vergessen nimmer dich! Luisa leibt nur Einen, Verschmäht des Stutzers Schmeicheln, Verhöhnt sein süßlich Heucheln, Gedenkt, du Edler, dein! Denkt deines Geistes Adel, Dein Lieben sonder Tadel, Dein Herz so rein, so bieder! Und [flammt]3 für dich allein! Für dich nur mag ich [flammen)4. Für dich, für dich nur fühlen, Das Feuer in mir kühlen Mag Zeit, mag Ferne nicht. Von dir, von dir mich scheiden, Mag Freude nicht, nicht Leiden, Mag nicht die Hand des Todes, Selbst dein Vergessen nicht. Selbst, wenn du falsch und treulos An fremde Brust dich schmiegtest, In fremdem Arm dich wiegtest, Vergessend Gott und Pflicht, In fremden Flammen brenntest, Luisa gar verkenntest, Luisa gar vergäßest. - Ich, ach! vergäß' dich nicht. Verachtet und vergessen, Verloren und verlassen, Könnt' ich dich doch nicht hassen. Still grämen würd' ich mich, Bis Tod sich mein erbarmte, Das Grab mich rund umarmte, Doch auch im Grab, im Himmel, Geliebter, liebt' ich dich. In mildem Engelglanze Würd' ich dein Bett' umschimmern, Und zärtlich dich umwimmern: "Ich bin Luisa, ich! Luisa kann nicht hassen! Luisa dich nicht lassen! Luisa kömmt zu segnen, Und liebt auch droben dich!"
Confirmed with Poetische Blumenlese, aufs Jahr 1787, Göttingen, bey Johann Christian Dieterich, pages 38-44; and with Gedichte von Ludwig Theobul Kosegarten. Zweiter Band. Leipzig, bei Ernst Martin Gräff. 1788, pages 298-308.
Note: This poem is Kosegarten's reply to the then well-known poem "Das Lied der Trennung" by Klamer Schmidt, also published (two years earlier) in the "Göttinger Musenalmanach".
1 1788 edition: "Schimmerns"2 1788 edition: "Rufen"
3 1788 edition: "brennt"
4 1788 edition: "brennen"
Authorship:
- by Ludwig Gotthard Theobul Kosegarten (1758 - 1818), "Luisens Antwort", written 1785 [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):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Set in a modified version by Franz Peter Schubert.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , title 1: "Luisa's reply", copyright © 2017, (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: 2017-06-10
Line count: 160
Word count: 691
It is indeed true that God's angels weep When lovers separate. How am I going to be able to live, Beloved, without you? All joys have died, I shall live from now on for suffering, And never, Wilhelm, never Will Luisa forget you! How could I forget you? To forget your gaze, Full of fiery delight, Full of gentle pleading towards me? In the darkness of my misery It shone on me, like the radiance of stars, Beloved, never, never Will Luisa forget you. How could I forget you? The gleam of your cheeks Made red by longing Made wet by your ardour for me! So wet with hot tears, So hot with anxious yearning - Beloved, never, never Will Luisa forget you. How could I forget you? To forget here and there A single one of the thousand words You have said to me? They are echoing around me As if in a hall in Paradise. Beloved, never, never Will Luisa forget you! How could I forget you? Could I at any time forget the sound Of so many songs of woe Sung as laments because of me? Oh, they still resound forever and ever In my ears, and they are being sung In my heart. Never Will Luisa forget you! How could I forget you? To forget your letters Full of genuine, pure love And oh, full of grief for me! I shall treasure them forever And place them in my tomb. Beloved, never, never, Will Luisa forget you! How could I forget you? Forget your kisses? Like sudden sheets of lightning They blazed through me! They are glowing on my lips, They are bubbling away in my veins! Beloved, never, never, Will Luisa forget you! How could I forget you? Could I forget each hour When I, embraced by you, Cuddled up to you so tightly, When I lay on your breast Longing to be totally yours? Beloved, never, never, Will Luisa forget you! How could I forget you? To forget those questions Which on more beautiful days you Used to ask me so often! Luisa, are you mine?" Yes, young one, yes, yours I am your for ever! - never Will Luisa forget you! How could I forget you? To forget those moments of bliss Which, oh so quickly fled by Though my heart was full of you. So anxious, so sweet, so crazy, So delirious and so confused As I felt them surge through me - never Will Luisa forget you! How could I forget you? To forget those pains Which in my heart I felt because of you, because of you! What I have suffered for you, What I have fought for for your sake, Should I forget it? Never Will Luisa forget you! I cannot forget you. With each step I take, In the middle of my life, Your image hovers around me! It shimmers on my canvas, It flickers on my curtain. Beloved, never, never Will Luisa forget you! I cannot forget you. With each golden morning My tender concern awakes, My sighs, oh, for you! "Where are you now, you only one? What are you thinking now, you who are mine? Are you also thinking of Luisa? Luisa is thinking of you!" I cannot forget you. At night on my bed I am often reminded of you, as if My arms were embracing you. The voice of the night watchman wakes me up. A sudden disturbance terrifies me. I am alone in the darkness, And I weep quietly because of you. I cannot forget you. No declarations of devotion by strangers, No adoration by people calling themselves my slave Will take your place, oh friend! Luisa loves only one person, She can only think about one person, There is only one person she can never forget, Never forget you! Luisa loves only one person. Fops' flatteries are scorned, Their sweet hypocrisies are mocked, It is you, noble one, that she thinks about! She thinks about the nobility of your spirit, Your spotless love, Your heart so pure, so upright - And she burns for you alone. It is only for you that I may burn, For you, for you alone that I feel. For this fire to cool in me Time and distance will not permit it. From you, to cut myself off from you, Neither joy nor sorrow will allow it, Even the hand of death will not permit it, Or even just forgetting you. Even if you were false and faithless Cuddling up to a stranger's breast, Being rocked in a stranger's arms, Forgetting God and your duty Burning in alien flames, If you even misjudged Luisa Or even forgot her - Oh I! I would not forget you. Despised and forgotten, Lost and abandoned, I could still not hate you. I would grieve quietly Until death offered me solace. Should the grave embrace me - But also in the grave, in heaven, Beloved, I would love you. In the gentle gaze of an angel I would shimmer around your bed And tenderly whimper around you. "I am Luisa, it is I! Luisa can not hate you! Luisa will not leave you! Let Luisa come to bless you, And she loves you even up in the world beyond!"
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2017 by Malcolm Wren, (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) by Ludwig Gotthard Theobul Kosegarten (1758 - 1818), "Luisens Antwort", written 1785
This text was added to the website: 2017-07-14
Line count: 160
Word count: 879