Ich kann's nicht fassen, nicht glauben

Ich kann's nicht fassen, nicht glauben,
Es hat ein Traum mich berückt;
Wie hätt er doch unter allen
Mich Arme erhöht und beglückt?

Mir war's, er habe gesprochen:
"Ich bin auf ewig dein,"
Mir war's -- ich träume noch immer,
Es kann ja nimmer so sein.

O laß im Traume mich sterben,
Gewieget an seiner Brust,
Den [seligsten]1 Tod mich schlürfen
In Tränen unendlicher Lust.

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Austin, Loewe, Wiseneder, and some editions of Schumann: "seligen"

Authorship

by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781-1838) , no title, from Lieder und lyrisch epische Gedichte, in Frauen-Liebe und Leben, no. 3

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

by Adolf Ander , "Frauenliebe und Leben", op. 2 (>>1873) [voice and piano], Wien, C.A. Spina Hamburg, Aug. Cranz
by Elizabeth R. Austin (1938-) , "Ich kann's nicht fassen, nicht glauben", 1999 [mezzo-soprano or soprano and piano], from Frauenliebe und -leben, no. 3.
by John Böie (1822-1900) , "Ich kann's nicht fassen", op. 10 (Sechs Lieder) no. 3, published 1847 [voice and piano], Leipzig, Whistling
by Julius Lammers (1829-1888) , "Mein", op. 8 (Fünf Lieder und Gesänge für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 5, published 1877 [voice and piano], Leipzig, Kahnt
by Johann Karl Gottfried Loewe (1796-1869) , "Ich kann's nicht fassen, nicht glauben", op. 60 no. 3 (1836), from Frauenliebe, Liederkranz von Chamisso, no. 3.
by Karl Gottlieb Reissiger (1798-1859) , "Erwählt", op. 104 (7 Gesänge und Lieder für Alt (oder Bassstimme)) no. 2, published 1835 [alto or bass and piano], Dresden, Paul
by Robert Alexander Schumann (1810-1856) , "Ich kann's nicht fassen, nicht glauben", op. 42 no. 3, from Frauenliebe und -Leben, no. 3.
by Paul Umlauft (1853-1934) , "Ich kann's nicht fassen", op. 6 (Fünf Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1881 [voice and piano], Leipzig, Siegel
by Caroline Wiseneder (1807-1868) , "Ich kann's nicht fassen, nicht glauben", c1839-40.

ENG English (Daniel Platt) , "I can't grasp it, nor believe it", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch [singable] (Lau Kanen) , title unknown, copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Amelia Maria Imbarrato) , "Non posso capirlo, non posso crederlo", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Pierre Mathé) , "Je ne peux le comprendre ni le croire", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English [singable] (Shula Keller) , "I cannot, I dare not believe it", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
NOR Norwegian (Bokmål) (Marianne Beate Kielland) , title unknown, copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Text added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

Notes about green, red, and white dots

Gentle Reminder

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I can't grasp it, nor believe it

I can't grasp it, nor believe it, 
a dream has bewitched me, 
how should he, among all the others, 
lift up and make happy poor me? 

It seemed to me, as if he spoke, 
"I am thine eternally", 
It seemed - I dream on and on, 
It could never be so. 

O let me die in this dream, 
cradled on his breast, 
let the most blessed death drink me up 
in tears of infinite bliss.

Authorship

Translation from German to English copyright © by Daniel Platt, abelard2 (AT) aol (DOT) com, http://davidsbuendler.freehostia.com/davidsbuendler.htm, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. Please contact the copyright-holder(s) when requesting permission to reprint and be sure to give proper credit.

a text in German by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781-1838) , no title, from Lieder und lyrisch epische Gedichte, in Frauen-Liebe und Leben, no. 3 DUT NOR ITA FRE

Text added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.