Sehnsucht
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Weiß, was ich leide!
Allein und abgetrennt
Von aller Freude,
Seh’ ich an’s Firmament
Nach jener Seite.
Ach! der mich liebt und kennt
Ist in der Weite.
Es schwindelt mir, es brennt
Mein Eingeweide.
Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt
Weiß, was ich leide!
Longing
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
Know what I suffer!
Alone and cut off
From every joy,
I search the sky
In that direction.
Ah! he who loves and knows me
Is far away.
My head reels,
My body blazes.
Only those who know longing
Know what I suffer!
Sehnsucht
German source:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Longing
English source:
Richard Stokes
Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt
Only those who know longing
Weiß, was ich leide!
Know what I suffer!
Allein und abgetrennt
Alone and cut off
Von aller Freude,
From every joy,
Seh’ ich an’s Firmament
I search the sky
Nach jener Seite.
In that direction.
Ach! der mich liebt und kennt
Ah! he who loves and knows me
Ist in der Weite.
Is far away.
Es schwindelt mir, es brennt
My head reels,
Mein Eingeweide.
My body blazes.
Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt
Only those who know longing
Weiß, was ich leide!
Know what I suffer!
Composer
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the classical and romantic eras in classical music, he remains one of the most recognized and influential…
Poet
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang Goethe was a German writer and statesman. His body of work includes epic and lyric poetry written in a variety of metres and styles; prose and verse dramas; memoirs; an autobiography; literary and aesthetic criticism; treatises on…