O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst

O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst is a poem written by Ferdinand Freiligrath, a German writer in the 19th century. In 1847, a composer named Franz Liszt set this poem to music (a lied for soprano voide and piano), and eventually turned it into his famous Notturno no. 3. The latter is perhaps his most famous piece, and certainly one of the most beautiful melodies he composed. Liebestraum is a German word that means Dream of Love, or Dreaming and Loving.

Related Topics:
Ferdinand Freiligrath - Franz Liszt - Notturno no. 3

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Here are the first verses that Liszt did copy on the piano score:

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O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst !

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O lieb, so lang du lieben magst !

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Die Stunde kommt, die Stunde kommt,

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wo du an Gräbern stehst und klagst !

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with a very approximative translation:

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O love, so long as you can !

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O love, so long as you whish !

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The time comes, the time comes,

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Where you'll cry and weep on their graves !

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The complete German text can be found here for instance.

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