Es stehen unbeweglich

Es stehen unbeweglich
die Sterne in ihrer Höh',
viel tausend Jahr, und schauen
sich an mit Liebesweh.

Sie sprechen eine Sprache,
die ist so reich, so schön;
doch keiner der Philologen
kann diese Sprache verstehn.

Ich aber hab sie gelernet,
und ich vergesse sie nicht;
mir diente als Grammatik
der Herzallerliebsten Gesicht.

by Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) , no title, from Buch der Lieder, in Lyrisches Intermezzo, no. 8

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968) , "Die Sternensprache", 1929, from Drei Heine-Lieder, no. 3, unpublished
by Don Forsythe (1932-) , "Es stehen unbeweglich", published c2004-5 [low voice and piano], from Eine Dichtererzählung - Herbstzyklus, no. 2.
by Olivier Greif (1950-2000) , "Es stehen unbeweglich", op. 49 (Light music) no. 3c
by Johanna Kinkel, née Mockel (1810-1858) , "Die Sprache der Sterne", op. 6 (Sechs Lieder) no. 6, published 1839.
by Henry J. Lautz , "Es stehen unbeweglich", op. 5 no. 2.
by Charles Fonteyn Manney (1872-1951) , "Es stehen unbeweglich", op. 1 (Six Songs = Sechs Lieder) no. 2, published 1898, note: also set in English
by Montague Fawcett Phillips (1885-1969) , "Die Sterne", published 1912, also set in English
by Theodor Raillard (1864-1929) , "Es stehen unbeweglich", from Fünf Lieder, no. 3.

by John Joseph Becker (1886-1961) , no title, 1925, from Heine Song Cycle, no. 1.

by Edison Vasilyevich Denisov (1929-1996) , "Nepodvizhnyje zvjozdy", published 1958 [baritone and piano], from Stradanija junosti, no. 10.

by Alfred Heller (1931-) , "The stars for many ages", 1956. [voice and guitar]

by Charles Fonteyn Manney (1872-1951) , "Stars in heaven shining", op. 1 (Six Songs = Sechs Lieder) no. 2, published 1898, note: also set in German

by Montague Fawcett Phillips (1885-1969) , "The stars", published 1912, also set in German

FRE French (Charles Beltjens)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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The stars

For a thousand years the stars
Stay quiet in the skies,
And ever at each other gaze
With wistful loving eyes.

The words they speak together
Are beautiful and grand,
Yet not the wisest scholar
Their speech may understand.

But I have read and learnt it,
And know it evermore,
The face of my belovèd
Reveal'd to me their lore.

Singable translation possibly by Montague Fawcett Phillips (1885-1969) , "The stars"

a text in German by Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) , no title, from Buch der Lieder, in Lyrisches Intermezzo, no. 8 RUS FRE

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Montague Fawcett Phillips (1885-1969) , "The stars", published 1912, also set in German

Date added to the website: 2009-03-13.