Only with you
(Poet's title: Bei dir allein!)
Set by Schubert:
D 866/2
[probably summer 1828]
Part of Vier Refrain Lieder, D 866
Bei dir allein empfind ich, dass ich lebe,
Dass Jugendmut mich schwellt,
Dass eine heitre Welt
Der Liebe mich durchbebe;
Mich freut mein Sein
Bei dir allein!
Bei dir allein weht mir die Luft so labend,
Dünkt mich die Flur so grün,
So mild des Lenzes Blühn,
So balsamreich der Abend,
So kühl der Hain,
Bei dir allein!
Bei dir allein verliert der Schmerz sein Herbes,
Gewinnt die Freud an Lust!
Du sicherst meine Brust
Des angestammten Erbes;
Ich fühl mich mein
Bei dir allein!
Only with you do I experience the fact that I am alive,
That youthful courage is swelling up in me,
That a cheerful world
Of love is coursing through me;
I take pleasure in existing
Only with you!
Only with you does the air waft over me in such a refreshing way,
Does the field appear to me to be so green,
Is the blossoming of spring so gentle,
Is the evening so rich in balsam,
Is the grove so cool,
Only with you!
Only with you does pain lose its bitterness,
Is pleasure added to joy!
You secure my breast
With what I hope to inherit;
I feel that I am myself
Only with you!
All translations into English that appear on this website, unless otherwise stated, are by Malcolm Wren. You are free to use them on condition that you acknowledge Malcolm Wren as the translator and schubertsong.uk as the source. Unless otherwise stated, the comments and essays that appear after the texts and translations are by Malcolm Wren and are © Copyright.
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Themes and images in this text:
Air Balm and balsam Bitterness Chest / breast Courage Evening and the setting sun Flowers Green Joy Pain Spring (season) Woods – groves and clumps of trees (Hain) Youth
Since Seidl chose not to include this text in the collected editions of his poems we cannot be sure about how he would have lineated these strophes. Is the rhyme scheme ABBACC or ABCCBAA? In other words should it be set out as follows?
Bei dir allein Empfind' ich, daß ich lebe, Dass Jugendmut mich schwellt Dass eine heit're Welt Der Liebe mich durchbebe; Mich freut mein Sein Bei dir allein!
This would emphasise the repetition of ‘Bei dir allein’ (the ‘refrain’ in this ‘Refrain Lied’), and it would draw more attention to the rhyme on the syllable ‘ein’. The poet is insisting that the beloved is the only one (ein) that has this effect on him. You alone (allein) affect my being (Sein). You alone (allein) are mine (mein). It could be called monomania.
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Original Spelling Bei dir allein! Bei dir allein empfind' ich, daß ich lebe, Daß Jugendmut mich schwellt Daß eine heit're Welt Der Liebe mich durchbebe; Mich freut mein Sein Bei dir allein! Bei dir allein weht mir die Luft so labend, Dünkt mich die Flur so grün, So mild des Lenzes Blüh'n, So balsamreich der Abend, So kühl der Hain, Bei dir allein! Bei dir allein verliert der Schmerz sein Herbes, Gewinnt die Freud an Lust! Du sicherst meine Brust Des angestammten Erbes; Ich fühl' mich mein Bei dir allein!
Note: Schubert received Seidl’s poem in handwritten form. Seidl did not include it in his poetry editions.