"Die Lotosblume", or "The Lotos-Flower", is a poem written by Heinrich Heine

Heinrich Heine

Christian Johann Heinrich Heine was one of the most significant German poets of the 19th century. He was also a journalist, essayist, and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of Lieder by composers such as Robert Schumann...

 which was put to music by Robert Schumann

Robert Schumann

Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....

 in 1840. This Lied

Lied

is a German word literally meaning "song", usually used to describe romantic songs setting German poems of reasonably high literary aspirations, especially during the nineteenth century, beginning with Carl Loewe, Heinrich Marschner, and Franz Schubert and culminating with Hugo Wolf...

is part of Schumann's Myrthen collection (op. 25 no. 7)) and Six Song for Männerchor (op. 33 no. 3). The piece speaks of the blooming of the Lotosflower and how it is at night that it comes to life. Due to circumstances at the time, the lyrics were intended to have a double meaning.

Text

Deutsch	English	Italiano	Português
Die Lotosblume ängstigt Sich vor der Sonne Pracht, Und mit gesenktem Haupte Erwartet sie träumend die Nacht. Der Mond, der ist ihr Buhle, Er weckt sie mit seinem Licht, Und ihm entschleiert sie freundlich Ihr frommes Blumengesicht. Sie blüht und glüht und leuchtet, Und starret stumm in die Höh; Sie duftet und weinet und zittert Vor Liebe und Liebesweh.	The Lotus flower fears before the suns splendour, and with drooping head she dreamily awaits the night. The moon, he is her lover. He wakes her with his light and to him she happily unveils her devoted flower-face. She blooms and glows and shines and stares mute in the heavens. She exhales and weeps and trembles with love and love's pain.	Il fior di loto è impaurito dal fulgore del sole, e con il capo chino aspetta sognante la notte. La luna, che è sua amante, lo sveglia con la sua luce, e lui le svela gentile il devoto viso di fiore. Fiorisce, cresce, si illumina, guardando verso l'alto: geme, piange, trema d'amore e desiderio.	A Flor de Lotus receia perante a luz do sol, e com a cabeça curvada espera sonhadoramente a noite A Lua, é o seu amante Ele acorda-a com a sua luz E para ele alegremente revela A sua devota face Ela floresce, brilha e ilumina; Ela exala, chora e treme com amor e a dor do amor.