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Lied der Jungfrau
German source: Maurice Maeterlinck

Allen weinenden Seelen,
Aller nahenden Schuld
Offn’ ich im Sternenkranze
Meine Hände voll Huld.

Alle Schuld wird zunichte
Vor der Liebe Gebet,
Keine Seele kann sterben,
Die weinend gefleht.

Verirrt sich die Liebe
Auf irdischer Flur,
So weisen die Tränen
Zu mir ihre Spur.

Song of the virgin
English translation © Richard Stokes

To every weeping soul,
To all beset by guilt,
I, surrounded by stars,
Open my hands full of grace.

All guilt dissolves
Before the prayers of love,
No soul can die
That has entreated in tears.

If love goes astray
On the meadows of this earth,
Its tears will find
The way to me.

Translation © Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)

Lied der Jungfrau
German source: Maurice Maeterlinck

Song of the virgin
English source: Richard Stokes

Allen weinenden Seelen,
To every weeping soul,
Aller nahenden Schuld
To all beset by guilt,
Offn’ ich im Sternenkranze
I, surrounded by stars,
Meine Hände voll Huld.
Open my hands full of grace.

Alle Schuld wird zunichte
All guilt dissolves
Vor der Liebe Gebet,
Before the prayers of love,
Keine Seele kann sterben,
No soul can die
Die weinend gefleht.
That has entreated in tears.

Verirrt sich die Liebe
If love goes astray
Auf irdischer Flur,
On the meadows of this earth,
So weisen die Tränen
Its tears will find
Zu mir ihre Spur.
The way to me.

Composer

Alexander von Zemlinsky

Alexander Zemlinsky or Alexander von Zemlinsky was an Austrian composer, conductor, and teacher. Read more here.

Poet

Maurice Maeterlinck

Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was a Fleming, but wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911 "in appreciation of his many-sided literary activities, and…

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