Franz Liszt - O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst (Sheet music and lyrics)

O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst is a poem written by Ferdinand Freiligrath.
In 1843, Hungarian composer Franz Liszt set the poem to music (soprano voice and piano). In 1850 he adapted it into his famous Liebestraum No. 3. The work is one of Liszt's most famous and poignant. Liebesträume in German means Dreams of Love.

O lieb so lang du lieben kannst, S.298 in A-flat major, published in 1847 by Kistner (Leipzig).

[neilpattison]

O lieb', solang du lieben kannst!
O lieb', solang du lieben magst!
Die Stunde kommt, die Stunde kommt,
Wo du an Gräbern stehst und klagst!

Und sorge, daß dein Herze glüht
Und Liebe hegt und Liebe trägt,
Solang ihm noch ein ander Herz
In Liebe warm entgegenschlägt!

Und wer dir seine Brust erschließt,
O tu ihm, was du kannst, zulieb'!
Und mach' ihm jede Stunde froh,
Und mach ihm keine Stunde trüb!

Und hüte deine Zunge wohl,
Bald ist ein böses Wort gesagt!
O Gott, es war nicht bös gemeint, -
Der andre aber geht und klagt.

O lieb', solang du lieben kannst!
O lieb', solang du lieben magst!
Die Stunde kommt, die Stunde kommt,
Wo du an Gräbern stehst und klagst!

Dann kniest du nieder an der Gruft
Und birgst die Augen, trüb und naß,
- Sie sehn den andern nimmermehr -
Ins lange, feuchte Kirchhofsgras.

Und sprichst: O schau' auf mich herab,
Der hier an deinem Grabe weint!
Vergib, daß ich gekränkt dich hab'!
O Gott, es war nicht bös gemeint!

Er aber sieht und hört dich nicht,
Kommt nicht, daß du ihn froh umfängst;
Der Mund, der oft dich küßte, spricht
Nie wieder: Ich vergab dir längst!

Er tat's, vergab dir lange schon,
Doch manche heiße Träne fiel
Um dich und um dein herbes Wort -
Doch still - er ruht, er ist am Ziel!

O lieb', solang du lieben kannst!
O lieb', solang du lieben magst!
Die Stunde kommt, die Stunde kommt,
Wo du an Gräbern stehst und klagst!

[_Snix]

I always thought while practicing this “there has to be some poem that this is based off of. It sounds so melodic and beautiful” and thank goodness I decided to look this up, my ears have been blessed.
This gives Liebestraum much more context, especially when you apply the knowledge that Liszt composed this piece in memory of Chopin after his tragic passing. They were good friends who inspired each other.

Chopin was always weak, he was also ill for most of his life, the verse “Die Stunde kommt, wo du an Gräbern stehst und klagst” (the translation would be “the hour will come where you stand before the (I think) grave diggers and complain (or more accurately mourn)”) is in my opinion a direct reference to Chopin’s pessimistic world view, as he was depressed for most of his life especially after realizing his death drew near, he passed too young unfortunately.

[spenceragbayani]

O love as long as love you can,
O love as long as love you may,
The time will come, the time will come
When you will stand at the grave and mourn!

Be sure that your heart burns,
And holds and keeps love
As long as another heart beats warmly
With its love for you

And if someone bares his soul to you
Love him back as best you can
Give his every hour joy,
Let him pass none in sorrow!

And guard your words with care,
Lest harm flow from your lips!
Dear God, I meant no harm,
But the loved one recoils and mourns.

O love, love as long as you can!
O love, love as long as you may!
The time will come, the time will come,
When you will stand at the grave and mourn.

You will kneel alongside the grave
And your eyes will be sorrowful and moist,
– Never will you see the beloved again –
Only the churchyard’s tall, wet grass.

You will say: Look at me from below,
I who mourn here alongside your grave!
Forgive my slights!
Dear God, I meant no harm!

Yet the beloved does not see or hear you,
He lies beyond your comfort;
The lips you kissed so often speak
Not again: I forgave you long ago!

Indeed, he did forgive you,
But tears he would freely shed,
Over you and on your unthinking word –
Quiet now! – he rests, he has passed.

O love, love as long as you can!
O love, love as long as you may!
The time will come, the time will come,
When you will stand at the grave and mourn.

[tales]

this is the perfect melodic work between pianos and human voice, the most perfect I have ever seen in my life as a pianist.

[jonathanrossow]

permanent goosebumped while listening to this

[annemariedrescher]

Ein wunderschönes Gedicht. Ich habe es erst jetzt zum ersten Mal gehört.

[atheism]

It's weird but I always prefer the piano versions. The keys have a certain tenderness that seem lost in the human voice.

[treesny]

Glad you picked the Ruth Ziesak/Gerold Huber recording: they really catch the urgency behind the words (and the music: it's marked " Animato"). Banishes memories of lugubriously slow renditions of the more famous piano-only transcription, as exemplified by Bette Davis in "All About Eve":
Margo Channing (deep in alcoholic self-pity) to cocktail pianist: "Liebestraum." Pianist (plaintively): "I just played it." Margo:"Play it again." "But I've played it four times." "Then this will make five." 🙂

[Manukpo]

He really played Cb on the coda .____.

[neraknerak]

Oh love! There's a mistake at 4:08, 4th chord.

[朱政龙]

Got a better idea of how should I voice this on the piano!

[atsukotakahashi]

Wonderful! I am so impressed by the words though I knew piano version. Her voice is beautiful.

[raginaldmars]

Liebes traum - habe ich 1974 in Basel kennen gelernt...

[daserik]

I ask myself why Liszt changed the ending for the piano piece. To be fair I’d rather learn this ending and play it instead the one written for piano.

[highgroundproductions]

Maybe one day I'll have a wife who will sing this with me.

[orangejuiceman]

I need clarification. Liszt wrote this before his third Liebestraume? Or did this inspire him to write it?

[stefanufer]

Very interesting to hear this. I suppose singers will naturally say this is superior to the piano version and pianists the opposite!

[treesny]

The song as published was designated for soprano or tenor. For a heartfelt version by tenor Cyrille Dubois:

[iamgeniusxd]

Reminds me of Liebestraum (3). Oh wait...




...Liebestraum (3) reminds me of this piece more like 🤣

[yahuihuang]

哦，愛，只要你能愛！
噢，愛，只要你能愛！
時刻到了，時刻到了，
你站在墳墓前哀嘆的地方！

並確保你的心發光
並珍惜愛並承載愛，
只要他還有另一顆心
用愛熱烈地迎接！

無論誰向你敞開胸懷，
哦，為了他，盡你所能吧！
讓他每小時都開心，
一個小時內不要寵壞他！

還有要小心你的舌頭，
很快就會有人說髒話！
天哪，這不是惡意，-
但另一個人卻去抱怨了。

哦，愛，只要你能愛！
噢，愛，只要你能愛！
時刻到了，時刻到了，
你站在墳墓前哀嘆的地方！

然後跪在墳墓前
你隱藏你的眼睛，渾濁而濕潤，
- 你再也見不到另一個人了 -
走進又長又濕的墓地草地。

你說：哦，瞧不起我，
他在你的墳墓前哭泣！
原諒我冒犯了你！
天哪，這不是惡意！

但他既看不到你，也聽不到你，
你不會高興地擁抱他；
經常親吻你的嘴會說話
再也不會了：我早就原諒你了！

他做到了，早就原諒你了，
但許多人熱淚盈眶
關於你和你的尖酸刻薄的話——
但安靜——他正在休息，他已經到達目的地了！

哦，愛，只要你能愛！
噢，愛，只要你能愛！
時刻到了，時刻到了，
你站在墳墓前哀嘆的地方！