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Tochter des Walds, du Lilienverwandte, So lang von mir gesuchte, unbekannte, Im fremden Kirchhof, öd' und winterlich, Zum [erstenmal]1, o schöne, find' ich dich! Von welcher Hand gepflegt du hier erblühtest, Ich weiß es nicht, noch [Wessen]2 Grab du hütest; Ist es ein Jüngling, so geschah ihm Heil, Ist's eine Jungfrau, lieblich fiel ihr Theil. Im nächt'gen Hain, von Schneelicht überbreitet, Wo fromm das Reh an dir vorüber weidet, Bei der Kapelle, am krystall'nen Teich, Dort sucht' ich deiner Heimat Zauberreich. Schön bist du, Kind des Mondes, nicht der Sonne; Dir wäre tödtlich andrer Blumen Wonne, Dich nährt, den keuschen Leib voll Reif und Duft, Himmlischer Kälte balsamsüße Luft. In deines Busens goldner Fülle gründet Ein Wohlgeruch, der sich nur kaum verkündet; So duftete, berührt von Engelshand, Der benedeiten Mutter Brautgewand. Dich würden, mahnend an das heil'ge Leiden, Fünf Purpurtropfen schön und einzig kleiden: Doch kindlich zierst du, um die Weihnachtszeit, Lichtgrün mit einem Hauch dein weißes Kleid. Der Elfe, der in mitternächt'ger Stunde Zum Tanze geht im lichterhellen Grunde, Vor deiner mystischen Glorie steht er scheu Neugierig still von fern und huscht vorbei.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Gedichte von Eduard Mörike, Sechste Auflage, Stuttgart: J.G. Göschen'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1876, pages 222-223.
1 Wolf: "ersten Mal"2 Wolf: "wessen"
Authorship:
- by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875), no title, appears in Auf eine Christblume, no. 1 [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 Hugo Wolf (1860 - 1903), "Auf eine Christblume I", from Mörike-Lieder, no. 20 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "A una flor de Pasqua I", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Malcolm Wren) , "To a christmas rose (a hellebore)", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Sur une rose de Noël I", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , "Sur une rose de Noël I", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "A un elleboro I", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 184
Figlio del bosco, parente del giglio, ti ho tanto cercato, a me sconosciuto, nel cimitero remoto, deserto e invernale, e per la prima volta, bel fiore, ti trovo. Quale sia stata la mano che ti ha fatto fiorire, lo ignoro, e ignoro di chi sia la tomba che custodisci; se di un giovinetto, fu per il suo bene, se di una fanciulla, il suo destino fu dolce. A notte nel bosco, fra candore di neve, dove brucando si accosta il mite cerbiatto, presso alla cappella e allo stagno cristallino, cerco il regno magico dove tu abiti. Sei bello, figlio della Luna, non del Sole, ciò che gli altri fiori inebria ti sarebbe mortale, nutre il tuo corpo casto, colmo di rugiada e profumo, l'aria balsamica e dolce di un gelo celeste. Nella pienezza dorata del tuo seno si annida Un profumo che si avverte appena; così profumava, da mano angelica sfiorata, la veste nuziale della benedetta Madre. A ricordo della Passione divina cinque gocce purpuree Sarebbero bastate a vestirti, uniche e belle, Ma durante il Natale tu con sapienza infantile La tua bianca veste adorni con un tocco di chiaro verde. L'elfo, che alla mezzanotte Si reca a danzare nella valle illuminata dalle stelle, si arresta timido davanti alla tua gloria mistica, resta a distanza incuriosito, e fugge via.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2008 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875), no title, appears in Auf eine Christblume, no. 1
This text was added to the website: 2009-01-01
Line count: 28
Word count: 219